New Pheonix
by Rocky Oberlin
Summary: Mia has a heritage that she doesn't know about, but it involves Anubis and her love for Ryo. Complete.
1. Chapter 1

The New Phoenix  
Rocky Oberlin  
Chapter 1  
  
Unless you want an old, bratty cat and plenty of bills I don't own the Ronin Warriors.  
  
Ever wonder how the Ancient lived so long? What about Anubis and Kayura? We had seen Kayura given the armor of Cruelty, but not the office of the Ancient. What about Mia's parents? She lived with her Grandfather, but where was her mother or father. Could it be that the Ancient was a dragon, a being that ages slowly, but has a mission to watch the Mortal Realm. When he died he gave the job to Anubis. Anubis knew the job meant that he couldn't keep his armor, so when saving Kayura with it presented itself he took it. But what about Mia? What does she have to do with all this? Just as Anubis and the Ancient is the new Guardian of the Mortal Realm, so are her mother and Mia. Listen, my children, as I, the Windwalker, Lady of all Horses, and Queen Mother of the Unicorns, tell of the coming of Power of the new Phoenix.  
  
Mia sighed. The dreams were getting stranger and stranger. They started out as a woman's face looking down at her and saying that she loved her little Mia no matter what. Then the scene changed to a four year old Mia being held in her Grandfather's arms as a house burns and two figures kneel in the bright flames. In the end she would always hear a female voice say that soon she would have to take up her destiny. Then she would awake. But this time she hear the same woman's voice say that she will always love her little Mia. And strange things were happening around her. Like last week she was cooking dinner and the stove just seemed to burst into flames as she turned on the burner. That caused everyone to agree to eat out that night. And when she started fire in the fireplace she didn't even use a match, it just appeared when she had figured that she was done getting the wood stacked. Ryo had joked that she was getting as good as he was in starting fires. Everyone had laughed at that, but Mia was worried. What was going on?  
Mia looked at the time and figured that it was time to get breakfast ready for the guys and then get ready for work. She was half way through when Cye came down. "Oh, Mia, I thought that you weren't going to touch the stove after that fire last week," he said surprised.  
"Well, someone has to start breakfast if you guys want to get to school on time," she replied. Anything else was lost as three other Ronins came downstairs for breakfast. "Who has to wake up Rowen this time?"  
The four Ronins looked at each other and no one volunteered for the risky job. Mia sighed and said, "If someone doesn't get him down here, you all will be late and he won't get breakfast."  
"Why don't you go up and wake him Mia?" asked Kento.  
"Because she is letting us live here," said Sage.  
"I'll go," volunteered Ryo. Sage winced and Cye looked apologetic. This was not going to be pretty. Ryo trudged up stairs and entered Rowen and Sage's room. Rowen was tangled in his sheets and looked almost dead to the world. "Here goes nothing," muttered Ryo. "Hey, Rowen. Time to get up!" he yelled. No response. "If you don't get up, I'll pull you out of bed." Rowen snored on unimpressed. "You asked for it."  
Everyone heard the loud thump from the area of Rowen's bed and the startled squawk as the bearer of Strata was rudely awakened. Mia shook her head and wondered if there wasn't an easier way to wake the heavy sleeper. The two Ronins came down and breakfast was started.  
Mia was in the bathroom when the next strange thing happened to her. She was getting ready, when she looked in the mirror and saw Anubis standing behind her looking at her. She quickly swung around to see if the presumed dead Ancient was behind her, but the empty bathroom met her eyes. When she looked back, she didn't see anything.   
"Must be a figment of my imagination," she muttered and went on her way.  
Anubis faded back into existence after she left. "She is getting closer. If only her mother could have stayed alive longer to tell her what her destiny is. This will be hard on her and maybe the Ronins. Are you sure it must be done?"  
"Yes," came a whispery voice. "The Phoenix must come to balance the Power between you, Griffon, and my son. When I gave the Power to him with the responsibility of being Unicorn King, the balance shifted. It shifted more when the Ancient made you his replacement. The Power is unsteady and Tulpa has used it to come back. Go, warn Lady Kayura and the Seasonals, they must get away from the Netherworld before Tulpa reclaims it."  
"And if they don't?"  
"Then I will have a time getting them out and that will leave the young Phoenix open to attacks.  
"Very well, Windwalker, I will go. Please keep her safe, she is like a sister to me."  
"Don't worry, I always protect my Charges."  
Anubis disappeared from the bathroom just as Sage came in to check his hair one more time before leaving for school.  
"Vanity, Vanity, all is Vanity, young Ronin of Light. Sometimes I think Solomon was right." Even the breeze of the Windwalker leaving didn't displace Sage's hair, but he noted that they would have to check the window before winter to keep the cold wind out.  
  
How Mia had the whole house to herself was a wonder and marvel. It seemed that the five young men all had dates and would be out for the evening. In a way it broke Mia's heart to think that Ryo would be with another girl, but she didn't have any claim on him so what could she do?  
Fight for him, her mind thought bitterly.  
Yeah, right. Why would he want to go out with me? We have nothing in common.  
She stared into the fire and smiled bitterly. What would Ryo want with her? She was just a friend, not someone he could relate to.  
"Oh, but there is, little Phoenix," said a whispery voice. "And soon you will have one more thing in common with him."  
Mia looked up at the voice but could only seen the fire burning in the fireplace. A swirl of wind gave the flames a column of air to follow and what she saw next was not what she expected. Instead of seeing the fire follow the air up, she saw a woman standing there looking at her. The woman nodded her short coppery-haired head and winked a dark blue eye at her. The column of wind died out and the fire returned to its sedately burning the wood again. The only evidence of the woman even being there was a red maple leaf at the edge of the fireplace. Mia didn't have any maple trees near her home.  
  
"Are the Seasonals going to leave the Nether realm?" asked a female voice.  
"Yes, they are leaving tonight."  
"Good. Make sure they get to Mia's house, will you Anubis?"  
"Of course, Windwalker. So, how did your meeting with the new Phoenix go?"  
"She doubts her feelings for her chosen young man and any connection between them. She may need his strength before she comes to understand her full power."  
"Mia will pull through, she did in the Dynasty Wars."  
"Yes, but she won't be able to look this up on her Grandfather's computer. Even he didn't know his daughter-in-law was the Phoenix."  
"Well, Anubis, I see you are keeping interesting company," remarked a newly arrived Dais.  
"And pretty," added Cale.  
"Lady, this is Lady Kayura, Dais, Cale, and Seckmet. Lady and gentlemen, this is Windy, the Windwalker, Queen Mother of the Unicorns, and Lady of all Horses."  
"A pleasure," nodded Windy.  
"Anubis said that we had to leave the Nether Realm, why? Is something wrong?" asked Lady Kayura.  
"Tulpa is back," Windy said flatly.  
This startled the living Seasonals. "How?" exclaimed Dais.  
"The Realms of Magic have four Guardians, the Dragon, the Griffon, the Unicorn, and the Phoenix. The Griffon has been Guardian long enough for changes to be made within the Guardians and my adopted son had taken over the duties of the Unicorn Guardian. The Ancient was the Dragon, but when he died a replacement had to be found. Anubis took this job along with the job of being the new Ancient. When he "died" he gave his armor and the staff to Lady Kayura so he could concentrate on being the Guardian Dragon." Windy paused after this explanation.  
"What about the Phoenix?" asked Seckmet.  
Windy looked sad. "The original Phoenix had married almost twenty five years ago to a mortal man. When she had her daughter a few years later, she couldn't hide her power. Tulpa sensed her and sent soldiers to get her or the newborn Phoenix. One problem, the original Phoenix hid herself and her daughter again. But one night she had to reveal her power again, so she bundled up her four-year-old daughter and sent her on with her grandfather. The soldiers attacked just as the newborn Phoenix was a quarter mile from her parent's home. She watched as her mother and father died in a fire caused by her own mother to stop the soldiers from finding her baby."  
"So, do you know who the Phoenix is?" asked Lady Kayura.  
"Yes," said Anubis. "And so do you. We all either attacked her or worked with her during the Dynasty Wars."  
"The only woman that we knew was Lady Kayura and the woman the Ronins live with, Mia Koji," said Cale.  
Windy smiled. "Good, now put two and two together and...?"  
"Lady Kayura is the new Phoenix?" asked Seckmet.  
Anubis groaned and Windy buried her forehead in her had like she had a headache. Maybe, she mused, I do. "No," Windy said patiently. "Lady Kayura can't be the new Phoenix; she has the Spring armor and is the living Ancient. Mia Koji is the new Phoenix."  
Windy thought the living Seasonals did a very good impression of landed fish trying to breath air. "Are you saying that Mia, doesn't have any power, gets into trouble, Yuli's babysitter Mia, is the new Phoenix?" asked Dais.  
"Yes."  
"And how does this relate to us leaving the Nether Realm?" asked Lady Kayura.  
"Due to the imbalance with one of the Guardians gone and a new Guardian taking on the job, Tulpa used the power to create a rift from a pit in Hell he was sent to back to the Nether Realm. And with the power to make that rift he had enough left over to actually start another army and gain back the power he lost when he was killed," explained Windy.  
"So, we have another battle," sighed Seckmet.  
"Yes," nodded Windy sadly. "Now we have to explain this to the Ronins."  
"I don't think my younger sister is going to appreciate this," warned Anubis.  
"Oh, I know she won't, but she's going to have to do this. Unfortunately, there is no other way," said Windy quietly.   
  
Mia was contemplating the maple leaf when the five Ronins returned home. They all were joking about how "well" Ryo's date had gone. "Well, she seemed nice," commented Cye.  
"Yeah, if you like snots that just use you to get back at their boyfriends," returned Kento.  
"How many times did you hit that guy, Ryo?" asked Rowen.  
"Don't ask," growled Ryo.  
"I take it that the night didn't go as planned?" asked Mia, looking up from the leaf.  
"You could say that," returned Sage. "Ryo went out with a prima donna that wanted to get back at her boyfriend by making him jealous. The guy tried to pick a fight with Ryo in the lobby of the theater and we almost got kicked out."  
"But Ryo just said that he would leave them alone together 'since they were made for each other' and left. Where did you go anyway?" asked Cye.  
"To the park; I needed to think."  
"Oh, but it gets better," howled Kento. "The guy thinks that Ryo had put the moves on his girl and tried to get Ryo to fight him again. Ryo punched the guy once and turned to leave, but the idiot got up and tried again. Finally Ryo knocked him out and we left."  
"Personally, I think the guy was stalking Ryo because as soon as we left that restaurant he tried it again," added Rowen.  
Ryo's face was getting darker and darker as the others told the story. He finally got up in the middle of Rowen's tale and stalked off. Mia watched him go and commented, "I think that you over did it this time."  
"Ahh, Ryo's just sore over being single again. He'll find someone new in no time," said Kento.  
Mia paled at the thought. Ryo with another girl, that would surely kill her. How was she going to get past seeing that every night he went out? Mia stood up and left to go to her room. Maybe she could sleep without the dreams tonight.  
"Wonder what's eating her?" mused Kento.  
"Don't know. Well, we should go to bed too, we have to practice tomorrow," said Cye.  
Rowen raised his body from the couch and followed the two up the stairs. Sage moved to follow, but something red caught his eye. "How did this get here? There's no trees like this near here," he said out loud. The fire flared slightly and drew his attention away from the leaf. When he looked back the leaf was one of the many that fell to the ground to be raked up by the Ronins on the weekends for Mia. Sage shrugged his shoulders and belatedly followed his roommate to their room.  
Two figures watched him retreat to the comforts of his bed and the peace of rest. The Dragon looked to the Horse Lady. "He could have discovered us."  
"Yes, Anubis, but I changed that."  
"I didn't know that you could control fire. I thought that you only worked with air and wind."  
"Wind is my Primary, but by my father's blood I can use Fire. One of my cousins is better at it then I am. Just like another can work with Earth even though we all have a connection due to being buried in it."  
Anubis smiled. "Okay, Windy, then answer me this: How can you control Water as you do?"  
Windy smiled at the Dragon. "We only control Water because we are born of the Great Lakes region. We ask politely and they answer, just like when we work with anything else. The only One who could demand the Elements to do anything is the One Who created them."  
Anubis shook his head. "Hard to imagine a Christian coming back to do all this."  
"It came with the job. I was asked to return, so I can't complain about anything but my own foolishness. I brought this on myself; sort of like working extra hours at the hospital when they're understaffed. It kills you, but you agreed to it."  
The figured chuckled and left the Ronin household to rest. In the morning their world would be turned upside down. 


	2. Chapter 2

The New Phoenix  
Rocky Oberlin  
Chapter 2  
  
Sorry it took so long to get out, but I (stupidly) volunteered to work third shift at the hospital I work at. I don't write this on paper first so I couldn't work on during the quiet times. Besides I have some others that people want (maybe).  
  
Tell the Nurse Supervisor the status is the same; I don't own the Ronin Warriors.  
  
"So you got the Seasonals to the new Phoenix's house, Grandma?"  
"Yes, now hush, I need to remember what happened next."  
"Yes, Mom is getting old, you must have patience with the elderly, their minds come and go."  
"My son, you may be the Unicorn King, but I helped bring you into this world and took you under my wing when your mother died. So help me I can take you out as well. And as my parents tell me, 'you aren't too old or too big to take over my knee."  
"Yes, my Lady Windwalker."  
"I thought that my brother was suppose to get the disrespectful children, not me. What happened to that curse Mom and Dad put on me?"  
"Mom?"  
"Hmmm?"  
"Could you continue with the story?"  
"Yes, now..."  
  
Mia sighed as she came down the stairs. That dream had come again and this time she saw the person telling her that she had to take up her destiny. It was the same woman in the fire. Mia was beginning to wonder if she should go see a doctor about the lack of sleep she was getting because of these dreams.  
"Good morning, Lady Mia."  
Mia looked up to see three men, not boys that lived with her, sitting at her table and Cye and Lady Kayura cooking in the kitchen. Cye was at the stove cooking pancakes and Lady Kayura was beating the batter to make more. They both looked up the greeting and smiled at Mia.  
"Good morning," said Cye. "This time I beat you to the kitchen."  
Mia was speechless as she sat down at the table, staring at the three Seasonals sitting with her.  
"We had some warning that we would be needed in the Mortal Realm," said Lady Kayura.  
"Who told you?" asked Mia, baffled.  
"Would you believe Anubis?" asked Seckmet.  
Even Cye paused at the answer. "How?" asked Mia.  
"I think that everyone should be here when we explain," said Lady Kayura.  
"I think that would be a good idea," said Dais. "Considering that the tale is strange enough without going over it twice with all the questions."  
"Whoa, when did you come back?" asked a newly risen Kento.  
"Last night, Hardrock," said Cale.  
"So, to what do we owe the pleasure?" asked Sage.  
"Let's discuss that when everyone is down," said Lady Kayura.  
They had to wait for Rowen and Ryo to come down. Surprisingly Rowen had beat Ryo by a minute. And when he came down he just looked at the visiting Seasonal and just sat down. He looked as if he hadn't been sleeping well and was trying to convince himself that yes he was suppose to be up.  
"I take it there's trouble in the Nether Realm," he said briefly.  
"Yes. How did you know?" asked Lady Kayura.  
"Dreams."  
Mia looked up sharply from her cup of coffee and stared at Ryo. He looked as bad as she felt. What was going on with them?  
"What were the dreams about, Ryo?" asked Sage.  
"A large bird of fire was looking at me and then I heard this voice say to protect the new phoenix. Then I saw this house burning and two figures far away watching. The bigger one was holding a smaller one and she seemed to be crying."  
"She?" asked Rowen.  
"Yeah, I could hear a girl crying and it was like I knew that it was coming from the small figure in the distance. Weird, huh?"  
"Yeah," said Sage. The Seasonals looked thoughtful and Lady Kayura stole a quick glance at Mia. Poor Mia was pale and had a haunted look on her face. Lady Kayura wondered why Ryo had dreamt of the Phoenix. She would have to talk with Anubis and Lady Windy when they returned.  
"So, you were going to tell us why you're here," prompted Cye.  
Lady Kayura started. "Oh, yes," she stumbled. "Well, it seems that Tulpa is back. We were warned to leave just in time I think. The ones who saved us said that an imbalance in the Realms of Magic allowed him to make a rift to escape from whatever Hell he was in."  
"So, we beat him before, we can do it again," said Kento, confidently.  
"I don't think so this time, Bearer of Hardrock," said a whispery voice.   
Everyone looked around and then the Seasonals stood up and bowed. In the back doorway stood Anubis and a strange lady. Anubis wore his traditional monks robes, but the lady wore complete white. It almost seemed scandalous to the older warriors that a woman would wear tight breeches and a leather vest over a linen shirt. What really seemed to go down hard were the daggers hung on her leather belt and poking out of the calf high boots she was wearing. Her short copper red hair had a braided cord of blue and purple that did little to hold her hair out of her face, but seemed important as she wore it and the green from earlier.  
"Hello, Ronins," said Anubis. "I would like to introduce to you the Lady Windy-"  
"The Horse Lady," interrupted Mia.  
Windy nodded. "Just as you say, Phoenix, I am the Horse Lady."  
Puzzled looks were exchanged, but not as puzzled as the one on Mia's face. "How did I know that?"  
"Every Guardian knows the Horse Lady or Lord. That person is the 'bailiff' of the Court of Magic if it is convened," said Anubis.  
"But how would _I_ know the Horse Lady? I'm not a Guardian."  
"Yes you are, Mia. You are the Guardian Phoenix," said Windy quietly. "Just as your mother was, so are you."  
"How do you know my mother?"  
"Sit, eat. I will tell my story and then we must call on the Realms of Magic to bring you into your birthright."  
Everyone settled down and Kento grabbed the last stack of pancakes. A disapproving look from Cye forced him to give some to Anubis, but he shook his head. Dais was quick on the draw and grabbed them before the bearer of Hardrock could swallow them whole.  
"Once, I was Queen of the Unicorns. I had to take that position due to the death of the previous King during a troubling time. I met with the other three Guardians to make plans of when and to whom I will give the regency of the Unicorns and the Guardianship of the Unicorn Magic. I met your mother at that meeting, Mia. She hadn't gone out into the world yet, but was getting curious. When I turned up with my strange words and accents she decided to explore as soon as she could. It was, may be, five years before she had you that she finally came into the world. Plainly she loved it. The Ancient helped her along in the beginning, but when she went out on her own, it was then that she met your father. It was 'Love at first sight'. The Ancient Dragon and the Griffon warned her of what could happen, but when it came to my turn I just told her to follow her heart. That lead to them being married and having you later. Tulpa had sensed the Phoenix Guardian walking in the Mortal World and thought that he could use her as a weapon against the Ancient. He lost her when she hid herself the few times she almost reveled herself, but she always hid again. When you were born, he sensed the new Phoenix Magic in you. You were four when he tried to get you again. The Ancient had gotten a message to your mother in time for her to send you off with her father-in-law and to lay a trap for the soldiers. Your father wouldn't think of leaving her behind, so when the trap was sprung they both died in a fire."  
"But I thought that a new phoenix was suppose to rise from the ashes of the old phoenix," interrupted Rowen.  
"Why? There was a new Phoenix. She just has to come into her power and the balance will be regained. But the damage is already done; Tulpa is out and seeking revenge."  
"So Mia is the new Phoenix?" asked Cye.  
"You got it Torrent," said Seckmet.  
"You said that we couldn't beat Tulpa on our own, why?" asked Sage.  
"Even with the help of the four Seasonals, you wouldn't have the power to send him back to the Pit he came from. The imbalance allowed hem to regain the lost power he had from before. With the time he had to build up his power, you have lost the advantage over him. He will choose the playing field, but you have the choice of weapons."  
"How will we defeat him?" asked Lady Kayura.  
"You will have help when the time comes," said Anubis.  
Mia looked at Windy and Anubis. "When will you hold the ceremony to bring me into my Power?"  
"Mia, don't-" started Ryo.  
"She has to, Bearer of Wildfire," said Windy. "You are Fire. We will start after the time your mother died, tomorrow at midnight. Just follow your instincts."  
Mia nodded her head. "I'll be there."  
  
"Why did the Protector protest, Grandma?"  
"He didn't want to see her hurt. He loved her too much."  
"I still can't believe he had the brass-  
"BILL! Watch your mouth, there are children present."  
"Yes, Mom. He had the _guts_ to follow her like that. I still can't believe you let him stay."  
"It was necessary. This was the first time that one of the Guardians had an equal. He would have been brought even if he hadn't followed her."  
"So Griffon, Anubis, and I have an equal among that lot?"  
"Yes, but only Anubis and I know who they are. You have to figure it out on your own."  
"I want to be there when you tell Griffon he has to figure out his new partner."  
"I'm glad you want to because I'm not telling him, you are."  
"Mommmmmm."  
"Don't 'Mommmmmm' me. I have other Charges to take care of and you aren't doing anything earth shattering. It will do you good to work with him more. May be you can get him out a little more. I haven't seen him since the Middle Ages."  
"That's because he didn't like the Middle Ages."  
"What was that? I didn't hear you.  
"Nothing, Mom, just talking to myself."  
"Is Uncle Bill in trouble, Grandma?"  
"We'll see, child, we'll see."  
  
Sorry if it's too short or not to your liking, but I have to get some sleep. As for the cord in Windy's hair it corresponds with the Church Seasons according to what I learned at my church. Windy functions on a different time line then the ones she's with. Right now she is in Advent (like I am right now) and the green was for Pentecost when the story was started. I probably will let you know when the cord changes.  
  
Until next time, comments and flames are accepted. Comments are saved. Flames are used to keep me warm during the Michigan winter.  
--Rocky Oberlin 


	3. Chapter 3

The New Phoenix  
Rocky Oberlin  
Chapter 3  
  
Disclaimer: Not even Santa can give me the Ronin Warriors.  
  
"Where was I? Oh, yes, I was telling you about the ceremony wasn't I?"  
"Yes, why was the Protector so scared for the Phoenix?"  
"Because he didn't know he was the Protector at the time. You'll see."  
  
Mia was closeted with Windy and Anubis after she came home from the university that day. Ryo was on edge the whole time they were away. Cye tried to get him to eat dinner when Mia didn't come down, but Ryo just pushed the food around on the plate. Kento tried to joke with him, but received only a dirty look and a harsh reply. Sage and Rowen wisely kept out of his way, but Cale almost was launched into orbit for not getting away from Ryo quick enough after a snide comment. Ryo calmed down a little after Mia appeared with Anubis and Windy.  
"Are you sure that you want to do this?" asked Ryo. "It's like our armors, once you accept them there's no going back."  
"Ryo," said Mia. "This is a part of me. I have to do this or Tulpa will win."  
Ryo tried to gain help from Anubis and Windy, but they shook their heads. "Mia's right Ryo. She must take up her post if Tulpa is going to be stopped," said Anubis.  
Windy looked at him and then blinked her eyes. From one moment to the next her eyes changed from the dark blue to silver. Her next look at him seemed to go through him and she smiled tightly. Her eyes changed back to the blue color and she said, "We'll talk later." Windy moved past him to sit in front of the fireplace to read a book.  
"Looks like Ryo's not the only one who likes fire," joked Kento.  
"Watch it Kento," growled Ryo.  
Windy didn't look up, but her reply was cool. "Just because I sit in front of the fire, doesn't mean that I am like Ryo. He bears the fire element's armor. I have a deeper understanding of a different element then fire, but by blood I can use fire for different uses. Don't mix them up." She hadn't even looked up from her book and when Rowen went to see what she was reading, he couldn't understand it. The writing looked far older then even the Seasonals and they didn't show that much of their age.  
Mia showed the five new guests to their rooms for the night, but sat down on the couch behind Windy.  
"Why doesn't Ryo want me to take on my responsibility?"  
"He's afraid."  
"Of what?"  
Windy turned to the young phoenix. "That, unfortunately, is something that he must tell you. I have no right to say why."  
The two sat in silence for a bit before Mia went up to her room she was sharing with Lady Kayura. "Will you be alright down here?"  
Windy looked over her shoulder and smiled. "I should be fine. It will be the rest of the house that will have problems if they wake me too soon."  
Mia laughed and went to bed light hearted for once. May be there will be a chance after all.  
  
The next day found Cye quietly making breakfast again. The Seasonals saw Windy stretched out on the couch sleeping and quietly went into the kitchen. Sage and Ryo followed their example, but when Kento smelled breakfast, he came down loudly and hurriedly.  
"Fooooood! Gimme, gimme, gimme!"  
"Kento!"  
"Hardrock!"  
"Meatloaf."  
Seven young men got out of the speaker's way as she advanced on the unfortunate Kento of Hardrock. He had stiffened at the tone and underlying threat of the name given to him and the other men saw the controlled fury in her eyes. Windy's eyes were not the dark blue or the strange silver, they were black, not from dilated pupils, but from the color changing once again to match the mood of the person.  
Mia, Kayura, and Rowen came down in time to see Kento back away from the furious guest in white babbling about how sorry he was for waking her.  
"You don't know how sorry you will be if I ever get my hands on you," threatened Windy in a low voice.  
Kento looked for some help as he moved a little more quickly. "Ryo? Sage? Cye?"  
"Sorry, you brought this on yourself," said Cye.  
"Don't look at me," said Ryo.  
"I'm not trying to stop her," added Sage.  
"He woke you up didn't he?" asked Mia from the side.  
"What gave you that idea?" asked Windy without turning her head from the cowering Kento.  
"Oh, I would say the abject fear in his eyes explains it all," commented Rowen.  
Windy turned to look at the fifth Ronin with a raised eyebrow. Kento took that as a means of escape and headed for the back door. Windy's face went from anger to laughter after he cleared the woods in back. The rest of the household gaped at the hysterically laughing woman.  
"He will think twice before crossing me again," she laughed. "Don't you need to eat before you have to go to school?" she asked the Ronins.  
Five people looked at the clock, gasped, grabbed a handy item from the table, and ran for the door. The four Ronins climbed into one car as Mia headed for her jeep. "See you after classes," she called.  
"Bye," waved the Ronins as they hustled Kento into the back.  
"See ya later," Windy called back. She turned to the five Nether Realm warriors. "I plan on trying to catch a little more sleep. Do what you want, but don't wake me unless there's fire or flood. I'll know if the last trumpet sounds." The Seasonals and the Dragon nodded their heads and left to find activities that would keep them from waking the sleeping woman. Too bad they couldn't use that against Tulpa; he would be defeated in minutes.  
  
Mia almost rushed from her last class of the day. She was nervous and excited over what was going to happen that night. It wasn't something that her Grandfather knew about, so he didn't have anything on his computer to help her out. During her lunch, Mia had tried to find something about the four Guardians of Magic, but her search turned up nothing.  
"That's because no one knew about the ceremony, not even the magic users that asked for the Guardians help," came a new voice.  
Mia looked around, but only saw a young man looking over a shelf that had books on different kinds of dragons.  
"Do you think that any of these books would have something on the Dreamweaver or the Librarian?" he asked.  
"Who? I'm sorry, but did you ask me something?"  
"Yes. I was wondering if you knew if any of these books would have a picture of the Dreamweaver or the Librarian. Or any information for that matter."  
"I'm sorry, but I don't think so. I haven't even heard of a book on the Dreamweaver or Mr. Sias," said Mia.  
"I'm not asking about the good man who takes care of these paltry few books, I'm talking about the dragon who has tomes from when man first began to write. Books of spells from dimensions that can only be imagined or touched in the sleeping mind."  
"A dragon?"  
"Yes. He is called the Librarian."  
"I'm sorry again, but I've never heard of it either."  
"The Librarian is not an it. The Librarian is a he." The young man looked insulted. "Like the Dreamweaver is a she. Actually they are cousins."  
"I've never heard of either of them so I didn't know."  
"Then you should ask the bailiff to explain them to you. Who knows, you may need their help one day. Besides, if they aren't in the mythology stacks, then why would the Guardians of Magic be here either?" The young man turned and left the row of stacks. When Mia tried to follow him, he had disappeared.  
"Weird."  
  
Windy was out practicing in the backyard when Mia came home. Cye looked up from the dinner he was making as asked, "Hard day?"  
"No, same old, same old," said Mia, distractedly. "It's just I ran across someone who asked me something and said that I should talk to 'the bailiff' for the answers."  
"Well, Windy said that she was the bailiff of the Court of Magic. May be he was talking about her."  
"If he was, then how did he know about something that wasn't in any book in the library or the Internet? I searched all over during my breaks and found nothing."  
"May be you should ask Lady Windy," said Anubis.  
"Ask me what?" questioned Windy. She had just come in to clean up and help set the table. Ryo, Anubis, and Rowen wandered in to hear the tale end of the conversation and were interested as well.  
"Who are the Dreamweaver and the Librarian? Some guy said that if they weren't in any books on mythology, then the Guardians of Magic wouldn't be either."  
Windy looked thoughtful. "Can you describe him to me?" she asked.  
"He was pale with really red hair. I didn't see his eyes, but he was wearing jeans and a black tee shirt with a wizard pointing a wand at a computer."  
Windy laughed at that. "That little snot borrowed Dad's shirt," she chuckled. She looked at Mia. "Well, you just met the Librarian."  
"He's the Librarian? But-"  
"I thought Mr. Sais was the librarian at the university," said Sage.  
"Welcome to the discussion," said Rowen. "We weren't talking about Mr. Sais, we were talking about a guy that Mia talked with in the library."  
"Finding someone to go out with?" asked Cale as he, Kayura, and Seckmet walked in.  
Ryo gave them a dirty look and Mia said, "No. We just talked and he disappeared." Mia turned back to Windy. "Now about my question."  
"That young man that you met was the Librarian. He guards all the books and tomes that every dimension and realm ever produce. Once a book is made a copy appears in his shelves. You should be honored; he doesn't come out very often or offer to teach very many."  
"So, who is the Dreamweaver then?" asked Rowen.  
"A song?" joked Kento.  
Windy shook her head. "No, she just liked the idea so she kept it. I think that someone from the seventies called her that once and she insisted that we all call her that. I don't mind; it's better then calling her 'Dragon' all the time."  
"So what does she do?" asked Kayura.  
"She protects the dreams of innocents and children. Sometimes she expands her sphere of influence to those who are in danger from evil forces," answered Anubis.  
"How did you know that?" asked Seckmet.  
"I met them after the war with Tulpa. Windy introduced them to me. They said something about cave hunting with me later." Windy laughed at the questioning look on Anubis' face.  
"Ask later," she said. Windy rose from the table to shower and Ryo took care of the table. "Thanks for helping, Ryo," Windy said.  
Ryo just shrugged his shoulders and smiled a little. He hoped that when time came, Mia would make the right decision. He planned on being there to make sure of that decision.  
  
"So the Protector had planned on following her anyway, Grandma?"  
"Yes. He loved the Phoenix and didn't want her to face what he had to those few years ago."  
"Unfortunately, Guardian Phoenix was needed, so he had no say, right Mom?"  
"Yes. Now hush, you wanted me to tell the story."  
  
Dinner was tense and the evening was getting worse. Ryo kept looking at Mia, then at Anubis, then at Windy, then at the clock. When he saw the time he would start all over again. Anubis sat in a corner and meditated with the staff Kayura let him borrow and Mia looked over the homework turned in from that day. Windy was once again in front of the fireplace reading and he was sitting next to Mia trying to do his own homework. So far, no luck.  
Rowen was up stairs finishing up his assignment while Sage meditated on his bed. A knock interrupted them both and Rowen answered the door. It was Cye and Kento looking grim and wanting to talk.  
"Let's get down to business. I think that Ryo is worried about Mia fighting against Tulpa. He might try to do something that could interfere with what's going to happen," started Cye.  
"I think so too, Cye, but how are we going to stop Ryo or Mia?" asked Rowen. "Ryo's our leader and Windy said that Mia has to step into her heritage."  
"Well, we could always lock Ryo up in his room," offered Kento.  
"Kento!" sputtered Cye.  
"He may have something," said Sage. "If Ryo did try to stop Mia, then Tulpa will win. If what Windy says is true, then Mia must become the new Phoenix to solve the imbalance. Then we can deal with Tulpa."  
"But lock up Ryo?" asked Cye. "If he found out that we did that, we could kiss his friendship good-bye."  
"Not if we explained it to him tomorrow," said Rowen. "I'm sure that he will understand later."  
Cye looked disapprovingly. "Then do it without me," he said. He left the room and went into his room. He hoped that he could get to Mia, Ryo, or Windy before the others could carry on their plan. "Good intentions pave the way to Hell," he muttered.  
  
It was a half hour to midnight when Windy closed her book and nodded to Mia. The Seasonals had wandered up to their rooms for the night and Ryo had soon followed. Anubis slipped up stairs to return the Ancient's staff to the sleeping Kayura. When he returned, the three quietly left the house to enter the forest in back.  
Ryo watched from his room and decided to follow. When he went to open his door, it was locked. He tried rattling it open, but it wouldn't open.  
"Ryo," called a quiet voice. "We think that you should stay in your room tonight. We'll let you out in the morning."  
"Sage," growled Ryo. "Let me out now."  
"We can't buddy," said Kento. "Mia has to do this."  
"If we are going to defeat Tulpa and keep it that way, Mia has to become the next Phoenix. We're sorry, Ryo," said Rowen.  
Ryo narrowed his eyes. He had to get out. Something was calling him and he had to answer. Mia was moving further away and he wanted, no needed, to follow her. He had to make sure she was all right.  
There was a scrape at his sliding door. On the deck Cye stood; he was working on the lock on the door and Ryo grew even angrier. So, even Cye was helping the others to keep him away from being with Mia.  
"Ryo?" Cye called. He opened the door and slipped in. "I would say that it would be best if you climbed down the drainpipe. A jump might let the others know that you're out."  
Ryo's anger faded. "Thanks Cye."  
Cye smiled faintly. "I didn't agree with the others. Windy said that you were connected to Mia somehow when I spoke with her. Go on, they're almost gone."  
Ryo gripped Cye's shoulder as he passed him and exited his room. At the corner of the deck, Ryo swung off the deck and climbed down the drainpipe like Cye suggested. White blaze lifted his head from the back porch and watched his companion run for the forest after the spirit, Dragon, and baby Phoenix. He rose to his feet and ran after him; when he was next to Ryo, White Blaze nudged him to get on. Ryo strattled the white tiger and they raced after the trio.  
Ryo watched the three enter a glade and stopped the tiger at the edge. They hid in a line of bushes and watched the ceremony to bring the next Phoenix into her Guardianship. Windy had changed to a long skirted dress in complete white. Her white cord for Christmas hung down the front of her laced up front. Mia wore a similar dress, only it was in gold and scarlet. Anubis wore silver and green robes and was joined by a man in silver and white robes, the Unicorn Guardian, and another older man in scarlet, brown, and silver, the Griffon Guardian.  
"Greetings, Dragon, Phoenix, bailiff. Are we set?" asked the Griffon Guardian.  
Windy bowed to the elder Guardian. "All is ready from my end. It all depends on if Mia is ready."  
Mia bowed her head and chewed on her lower lip. She looked up and said quietly, "I guess I'm ready. I don't feel like I'm really up to this though."  
The Unicorn Guardian smiled and patted her shoulder. "No one ever feels like they're up to it." He grinned over to Windy. "When Mom gave me the Unicorn Guardianship, I didn't even think that I could fill her or the previous king's shoes. No one's complained too much since I took over though."  
The Griffon Guardian looked at the new Guardians and said, "They have been doing a passable job so far. You will do well, child of my friend."  
  
"Have the Griffon ever had a complaint against Uncle Bill?"  
"Yes. He complains that Bill should take his job more seriously."  
"That's because he's so stiff. He needs to lighten up."  
"Bill, I know. But you do have to start being more serious about this job."  
"Yes, Mom."  
Sigh. 


	4. Chapter 4

The New Phoenix  
Chapter 4  
Rocky Oberlin  
  
Disclaimer: I can not tell a lie, I don't own the Ronin Warriors. Sigh.  
  
"Don't forget anything from the ceremony Mom."  
"How about you telling the ceremony. I'm sure that you could remember more than I. After all, I _am_ getting old."  
"Haha. No, I'll let you tell it. I'll just add what you forget later."  
  
The four Guardians made a circle and Windy stood on the outside. The Griffin took the North point; the Unicorn took the south. Anubis stood at the East and Mia stood across at the West. Windy stood behind her with her hands on Mia's shoulders.  
"I call upon the Power that I protect, come to me," called the Griffin.  
"I call upon the Power that I protect, come to me," called Anubis.  
"I call upon the Power that I protect, come to me," called the Unicorn.  
Mia glanced back at Windy. She quietly told Mia what to say and Mia repeated, "I am the new Guardian. Power the I must protect, please accept me and come to me."  
An earthy brown color of Power coalesced in the Griffin's hands. Green Power filled Anubis' hands while the White Power gathered into the Unicorn's hands. Mia watched in interest as the scarlet Power gathered above the circle and seemed to look at her and Windy.  
"Here is where you must go on alone, Mia. The Power must test you to see if you will uphold the responsibilities of the Phoenix," said Windy quietly as she removed her hands.  
From Ryo's point of view the scarlet Power enveloped Mia and swirled around her. He could somehow feel Mia being tested by that same Power. Then it was gone. Windy stepped further away and the other three Guardians followed her example. Ryo watched as flames sprouted from the ground at Mia's feet and engulf her and he ran out screaming, "Can't you save her? Why didn't you save her?"  
Windy moved swiftly as her namesake to stop him. "This is part of the ceremony, Ryo." Windy looked at the crying boy and then back at the Fire Power engulfing Mia. "Armor up then join her, Ryo."  
He looked startled, but did as she told him. When the armor of Wildfire finished forming around its bearer, Ryo ran to the inferno that Mia stood in the middle of. He jumped into the fire before the other Guardians could stop him and the inferno flared higher before dying around the two figures.  
The Griffin turned to the Court of Magic's Bailiff. "How could you let him do that?! No one has seen this ceremony in millennia and now he has desecrated and possibly destroyed the Phoenix Guardian of Magic."  
Anubis rested his hand on the fuming Griffin. "No, I think that they are both safe and from the looks of it, Mia is now the new Phoenix. See for yourself."  
He was right. Mia stood in her gold and scarlet robes with a fiery image of a phoenix behind her. Three feet away from her Ryo of Wildfire knelt on the ground and, like Mia, a smaller image of a phoenix showed behind him.  
"The Guardian of the Phoenix has found her Protector," announced Windy.  
"So, what now?" asked the Unicorn Guardian cheekily.  
"Anubis, Mia, and Ryo will be returning to her house for some rest before gong to school in the morning and the Griffin will be doing whatever he wants-" started Windy.  
"Which will be going back to my forest and waiting for the signal for the battle against Tulpa," interrupted the Griffin.  
"-And you will come with me, young man," finished Windy. "I need you to do something for me."  
"Ooohhh, maaannnn, I'm in trouble now," whined the Unicorn Guardian.  
"You asked for it Bill. Next time, I suggest you keep your mouth shut."  
"Yes, Mom."  
  
"I didn't do that!"  
"You most certainly did; I have witnesses. So did I remember everything?"  
"Yes."  
Giggling.  
"Now, now, don't laugh at your uncle's expense. It's not polite."  
  
When Sage went to open Ryo's door the next morning, he found Ryo's bed empty and the door to the deck closed. He woke Rowen and Kento and demanded, "Cye, did you let Ryo out last night."  
Cye sat up, looked at them, and got out of bed. He gathered his clothes and walked to the bathroom with the other three yelling demands. The only response they got was Seckmet telling them to shut up and let them sleep.  
"You should be up and practicing, not sleeping in," retorted Rowen.  
"Actually, Strata, we are having a day of rest. Tomorrow, Windy, Wildfire, Mia, Torrent, and we are going to practice. I don't know what Halo, Strata, and Hardrock will be doing, it depends on if you will still be wearing them or not," said Kayura.  
Cye stepped past the three stunned Ronins and went downstairs. The four Seasonals followed shortly after him, shooting dirty looks at the stunned Ronins.  
"We've got to find out what's going on," announced Rowen. He ran down the stairs and into the kitchen where he found Ryo and Cye eating with Mia, Anubis, and the Seasonals and Windy cooking.  
Ryo glanced up and then returned to his breakfast, but Cye didn't even look up. Windy looked at them and pointed to the three empty places at the end of the table. They were promptly ignored and when it was time to go to school, they were left the back seat while Cye drove and Ryo was in shotgun.  
"Should we talk to them after school?" asked Dais.  
"Probably should. They should know why they almost ruined our chances of defeating Tulpa," said Windy.  
"Let's wait until after dinner," suggested Cale. "Let them sweat for the heart attack they almost gave us."  
Windy looked at Anubis. "What do you think?"  
Anubis shrugged. "It may help them learn to talk more before making quick decisions."  
  
"That sounded cruel, Grandma."  
"It was, but it was also an object lesson. The Protector had to be bonded to the Phoenix. If Cye hadn't let him out, then he may not have had the chance. It wasn't for the Protector, then Tulpa may not have been defeated."  
"So, when do I meet my Protector, Mom?"  
"When he is ready, now let me continue."  
  
Sage, Rowen, and Kento were again seated at the end of the end of the table. Everyone except Windy ignored them. She sat eating her dinner and staring with silver eyes at the three. She seemed distracted at moments and the three seemed to feel something brush against their consciousness.  
"Are we going to ostracized for the rest of the night?" asked Sage.  
Ryo sighed. "No, but you will need to know why I had to be with Mia."  
This perked up the interest of the other two Ronins and they sat back to listen to Windy.  
"Before Tulpa tried to take the Mortal Realm, the four Guardians of Magic existed. When he tried to enter the first time, they quietly withdrew from the Mortal Plane to hide. Unfortunately, Tulpa was able to sense them in that Plane, but could do nothing about them because the Ancient came to fight him. When the Ancient banished Tulpa back to the Nether Realm and formed the Elemental and Seasonal armors, the Dragon approached him. The Dragon was old and wished to leave the service of the Guardianship. The Ancient, after much meditation and questioning, agreed to become the new Dragon Guardian."  
"So that's how the Ancient lived so long?" asked Kayura.  
Windy nodded her head. "Dragons live for a very long time. They measure their lives in centuries and millennia. The Ancient stayed in the Mortal World to watch for his adversary and watch over the armors. He led his village in his endeavors until Tulpa sent his troops in to capture Lady Kayura and destroy the village. He wandered the world watching and waiting and knowing that he will need help. He began to look a little closer at the armors he formed and started to see similarities in four of them as to the four Guardians. When I was brought in as the new Unicorn Guardian for my short time, I looked at them as well and I agreed. The Ancient wanted to see who would get the armors before trying to bond them to the Guardians. It was a good thing too, because later two of the Guardian's Protectors went into the service of Tulpa."  
Anubis looked down and flushed a little and Kayura looked over at him. "Why are you looking so disappointed in yourself, Anubis? Tulpa tricked you and promised you things he wasn't going to give, it's not like you were betraying someone."  
Anubis looked up. He started to answer, but Windy shook her head. "I'll tell you at a later date why, Lady Kayura." The rest of the table looked puzzled, but understanding dawned on Mia's face and she felt sorry for her new brother. It was going to be hard on him when he did tell Lady Kayura.  
Windy looked over at Anubis. "It will be all right, Anubis. You were forgiven a long time ago or else you wouldn't be here right now." Anubis smiled slightly at the Horse Lady. "As I was saying, two of the Guardian's Protectors were under Tulpa's command and the other two still hadn't been chosen. When the Elemental armors finally chose you, the Ancient watched you to see if you could do what needed to be done. During one of the times that he actually spoke to me during the Dynasty Wars, he decided to try an experiment. He wanted Ryo to bond with his partner, the Phoenix Guardian, when she came into her birthright. They compliment each other and if need be can trade powers back and forth if situation has need for it. So, as nice as it was that you were looking out for Ryo, Mia, and trying to defeat Tulpa again, it was misguided. You nearly jeopardized the whole fight before it began."  
Rowen, Kento, and Sage bowed their heads. "We're sorry for not coming down to talk with you about our worries," offered Rowen.  
"And we're sorry for locking you in your room, Ryo," added Sage.  
"I'm sorry," muttered Kento.  
Looks were traded around the table and Ryo accepted the apology. "That's alright. I know that you were worried about fighting Tulpa and you wanted to make sure that any advantage we had wouldn't be thrown away. But, please, next time, talk to me or someone, I wasn't very happy that I couldn't follow the pull I had been getting all day."  
The three chastised Ronins looked up to see smiling faces again. All had been forgiven for a slight misjudgment. Hopefully they would learn to look at the whole picture before making crack decisions.  
  
"So were they totally forgiven?"  
"By Ryo and Mia, yes. The Seasonals were a little down on them for a while, but Anubis did take time to point out some of their mistakes. They quieted down after that."  
"Are you going to tell me who my 'Protector' is or am I going to have to guess?"  
"You have to figure it out and you still haven't told Griffin that he has one too."  
"Do you really want to find another Unicorn Guardian, Mom?"  
"Why?"  
"Because when I tell him that, he's going to take my head from my shoulders."  
"Oh, no he's not."  
  
  
Hey, I'm doing good. I manage to get two chapters done in a day's time and may be after work I can get this one up. By the way, I'm working primarily days now so we'll see what happens now.  
Rocky 


	5. Chapter 5

The New Phoenix  
Chapter 5  
Rocky Oberlin  
  
Disclaimer: As mentioned above, I don't own the Ronin Warriors. Shucks.  
  
It was late evening when Mia, Ryo, and Anubis dropped into different chairs in the living room. Windy entered a few minutes later and took up her seat by the fireplace to wait for her bed to be vacated for the night. Mia felt an absent twinge of remorse for letting the ghostly woman sleep on a couch when everyone else was at least in a futon.  
"Don't worry about it Mia," came an answer to her remorse. "I've spent nights in worse beds then your couch. Actually it is quite comfortable; I just wish some people would keep their feet out when they horse around it."  
Ryo looked down and blushed and Mia smiled. Anubis wasn't paying attention to his new sister or her protector. He had the same look of guilt from the dinner a few days ago. He did his best to avoid Lady Kayura except when they had to train for the day. On those events, Anubis would not talk, but push himself and his partner. More then one person had gone to Mia and Windy about his behavior, but Windy shook her head. Anubis would have to face what he had been hiding sooner or later. Mia had a good idea of what was going on, but kept her mouth shut. Ryo was starting to figure it out when Anubis finally burst.  
"I don't know how the Ancient ever forgave me for betraying him. I was supposed to be his protector and what happens, I fall quickly to Tulpa's empty promises."  
Windy turned from watching the fire to face the frustrated Dragon. "Is that the real reason or is it much deeper?"  
The two Guardians and the Protector stared at the woman. Fire seemed to reflect off her white clothing and the red cord in her hair made a startling contrast; like blood on snow. "What do you mean?" asked Mia.  
"Anubis, are you afraid of falling back to Tulpa or do you fear for something else?"  
Anubis lowered his gaze and sighed. He knew that Windy would broach the subject of his Protector after his outburst. "It's more about Lady Kayura then me, Bailiff. I'm worried about her."  
"How so?"  
"Tulpa took over her mind twice, I'm afraid that he will do it again. May be not to Lady Kayura, but to me or someone else close to us."  
Windy smiled at the worried Dragon and answered, "If he promised you everything you desired, would you go back to him?"  
Anubis shot up his head. "Never!"  
"Then you have nothing to worry about. As for one of the others, it is up to them to decide if he is telling the truth." Windy looked thoughtful for a moment. "Although, I could give them a good, swift kick in the head if they need reminding of what Tulpa did last time." The tense trio broke into chuckles and the atmosphere in the living room changed.  
"Well, I suppose we should go to bed. Mia and I have school tomorrow and then we have to practice," said Ryo.  
"Don't practice too hard. I'm thinking that we should have a little fun. Too much tension is going to give somebody a hospital bill the way things are going in this house," said Windy.  
"Yeah," added Mia. "Cye almost brained Rowen for even stepping into the kitchen and Kento was all but washed out when he tried to sneak a snack."  
"And then Cale and Sage are giving each other death glares," mentioned Anubis.  
"So it's settled. What are the usual diversions around town?" asked Windy.  
"Well, there are the theaters, movies, clubs, bars," started Mia.  
Windy wrinkled her nose. Theaters would not do for some of the group. Kento would want something to eat, Ryo may fall asleep, and the Seasonals would do anything from falling asleep to making a nuisance of themselves. And Windy didn't really want to think about bars; being killed in front of one by a drunk driver was not the most pleasant of memories, or dreams for that matter. She always ended up screaming that could bring down the house after dreams like that. "How about we see what movies are playing and go from there. May be we can find a decent club."  
"Sounds like an idea," said Ryo.  
"Especially if we can keep certain people in line," continued Mia, glaring at Ryo. He gave her an innocent look.  
"Let's get to bed," suggested Anubis. "We don't want to miss out on breakfast because Hardrock beat us to the table. Besides, you said that you had school tomorrow." The three rose from their seats and bade Windy good night. She answered the same and settled down for her own slumber. In the middle of the night, White Blaze joined the woman on the couch. It was too crowded in Ryo's room.  
  
  
The next morning found Windy pinned under the great housecat. She glared at the tiger, but he ignored her. Windy moved her legs in hopes of hinting to White Blaze that she wanted up; after all it worked on her cat most of the time. White Blaze, being true to the feline family, studiously ignored her and continued to catnap across her legs and up to her stomach. It didn't help that the Seasonals and Ronins came down and laughed at her predicament. They were in for it when she got up.  
"White Blaze, breakfast is being served, why don't you go beg something off Ryo?" wheedled Windy.  
The tiger glanced at her and the look seemed to say, "He's not a soft touch. I don't get much from him."  
"Well, how about you get off me and I get you breakfast?" bargained Windy.  
White Blaze looked at her for one moment and then laid his head back down. His whole posture said, "I'm comfortable right where I'm at."  
"Well, I'm not. You asked for it." Everyone in the dining room heard a huge crash and a bright light. A blur of white swept past them, followed closely by a black and white streak.  
"Looks like Windy made White Blaze mad," commented Kento.  
"Wonder who's going to win this fight?" asked Cye.  
"My money's on White Blaze," said Sage.  
The four Seasonals looked at each other and smiled. "I'm betting on Lady Windy myself," said Cale.  
Sage rose to the bait. "Fine. If White Blaze wins, you have to do all my chores and sharpen all the swords in the practice room."  
Cale nodded.  
"For a month."  
"Deal. If the Lady Windy wins, you have to not use a half an hour to get ready for school in the bathroom."  
Sage's mouth set in a straight line, but he nodded.  
"For the rest of the semester."  
Sage was going to protest, but Ryo and Seckmet cried, "Witnessed." The two were now stuck in the bet.  
The whole table waited for ten minutes before Windy came into the back door dripping wet. "Ryo, I have good news and bad news. The good news is White Blaze doesn't need a bath for a while. The bad news is he's in a snit and I wouldn't recommend going anywhere near him for a while."  
"What happened?" asked Lady Kayura.  
Windy looked around for a towel to squeeze her hair out with as she replied. "He chased me to the lake. I stopped and threw him in as he jumped for me. Unfortunately, he was able to drag me in with him. Now, I'm going up to take a warm shower. If I get a cold shower, heaven help the person who took the hot water." Windy stalked out of the dining room and up the stairs to the bathroom.  
"I wonder if we should tell her that Sage used up all the hot water," mused Kento.   
A scream answered that question a few minutes later. Everyone could hear Sage's name being echoed from the rafters. Sage looked a little pale and said that he was heading out for school now. The rest of the Ronin Warriors decided to join him for the sake of self-preservation. The Seasonals took the hint and made themselves scarce as well. Only Mia, Lady Kayura, and Anubis remained at the table.  
Windy came down a little later a bit warmer and a small smile lifting one corner of her mouth. "The cowards left quickly then?"  
"Very. I think it was the scream reverberating around the house that scared them the most," said Lady Kayura.  
"Good. May be I won't have to mess with the hot water heater for a decent shower after this," grumbled Windy.  
"We'll see," said Mia. "We'll see."  
  
  
Practice was different for the Ronins and Seasonals. Windy, Mia, and Anubis didn't practice with them and Ryo seemed distant at times. At times Lady Kayura spaced out, but quickly regained herself before her partner could use it to his advantage. Cye broke off an hour before dinner to start cooking and Windy slipped through the door after him.  
"How was practice with Mia and Anubis?" he asked conversationally.  
"It's going very well. They are getting used to their new abilities. I suppose that Ryo and Kayura were affected?"  
"Ryo spaced out a lot and Lady Kayura would not respond for a second before coming back." Cye looked puzzled about Lady Kayura.  
"Mia and Ryo are tied close then. I'll have to talk to Anubis about Lady Kayura though," mused Windy.  
"Talk with Anubis about what with Lady Kayura?" asked a figure in the shadows.  
Cye turned to see who sneaked up on him, but Windy kept rooting around the shelves to find something to go with what he was making. "It is Dragon Guardian business, Cale," she said. "You can ask Anubis if you wish, but don't ask me to divulge anything. I'm just the bailiff of the Court."  
Cye just shrugged his shoulders and turned back to the meal. Cale scowled at Windy's back and returned out to the practice grounds. May be he could get Wildfire to spar with him Halo was getting predictable.  
  
  
During dinner Mia decided to bring up the suggestion that was made the night before. "Ryo, Anubis, Windy, and I thought that we could go out for a movie and may be go to a club." It was well received by all the recipients.  
"Yes! Party time!" yelled Kento.  
"Club?" asked Lady Kayura.  
"A place to dance and socialize," supplied Sage.  
The three other Seasonals smiled wolfishly at each other. "So what should we wear?" asked Dais.  
"Something casual and nice," said Cye. "Slacks and a nice shirt usually work."  
"I'll help them with their clothes," said Windy. "The rest of you just get ready. Is there something good showing, Mia?"  
"There's a couple of possibilities, but I think we should look at them before making a decision."  
Everyone rushed through dinner and raced upstairs to change. Windy took the three Seasonals and Anubis to one room and started to look through her bags for something that would look good on them. "It's a good thing my cousin's have taste, otherwise we would all be in trouble. Here, Cale, this might work."  
She handed him a pair of black jeans, a white collarless button down shirt, and a black vest. Dais was given black jeans and a maroon silk shirt. Seckmet had tan slacks and a green collarless shirt like Cale and Anubis was given blue jeans and a tan shirt.  
"So what are you going to wear?" asked Cale.  
"You'll see," Windy smiled. She walked up to Mia's room and knocked on the door. "It's Windy, can I come in?" The answer was affirmative as she opened the door and slipped in. The four older men shrugged and went to change.  
When all the men in the house was assembled in the living room the waited "patiently" for the women to come down.  
"What is taking them so long?" growled Kento.  
"They have to look nice," said Cye.  
"So they have to put on a ton of make up and do up their hair," continued Sage.  
"I find Lady Kayura doing any of those things hard to believe," said Seckmet.  
"I'm surprised that you would think that of any of us," came a miffed voice. Mia walked down the stairs in a short red dress. Ryo walked up and offered her his arm. Mia smiled at him and said quietly, "Thank you Ryo."  
Lady Kayura came down next. She was in a violet dress that came to her knees. Anubis smoothly walked up and offered her his arm, but held it at that. Rowen looked like he was hit with a board from the way he was staring at Lady Kayura. Anubis noted this and pushed a mental note to the back of his mind about talking with Rowen and Kayura separately about their feelings for each other.  
Windy came down last, everyone expected her to be in white, but she surprised them all by having black jeans and a green silk shirt. On her ear hung an ear clip with green and black feathers and beads. She smiled at the dropped jaws and said impishly, "What, can't I wear something ordinary once in a while?"  
The group divided up to get into the two cars in Mia's drive, but came up short with two left over. Wind solved this problem by wheeling out a motorcycle and offered a ride to Anubis. Soon the group was immersed in a movie subtitled from the US and avoiding Kento with his extra, extra large pail of popcorn.  
"That was good," said Rowen as they left the theater.  
"The subtitles were wrong in some areas, but it was interesting. I don't know how anyone could like _that_ though," commented Windy.  
"Didn't you like it?" asked Seckmet.  
Windy shook her head. "My tastes run a bit different. I agree with my brother on that movie though. I hope Mom and Dad don't try to rent it when it comes out on video."  
"I don't know, I thought it was hilarious," said Kento.  
"You would," said Cye. "I think I agree with Windy. My interest wasn't captured by it."  
"So where to now?" asked Dais, trying to ward off a fight for once.  
Sage looked around. "There's a club not far from here. We could go there." Since no one had any other ideas, they followed the Ronin of Halo to the club he knew. Everyone was carded at the door, but was able to get in. Sage led them to a large table in the corner where they could watch the dance floor.  
"Trying to pick someone up?" asked Ryo.  
Sage glanced at Ryo then looked at Windy. "May be."  
Windy didn't look at him, but watched the dancers gyrating on the floor. After a bit she was able to pick up on the beat, but she didn't quite care for the music. The Ronins and Seasonals came and went from the table and Ryo and Mia danced almost exclusively with each other, but Windy sat there nursing her Sprite and listening to the music.  
"Wanna dance?" It was a drunk and, by the looks of things, he wasn't going to take no for an answer.  
"The lady promised this dance to me," growled a voice.  
Windy smiled up at Cale and joined him. "Sorry, I'm booked for the rest of the night," she said. As she and Cale walked onto the dance floor, she said, "Thank you for the save. I don't want to think what would have happened to him if he tried pushing the issue."  
"He may have a problem when he wakes up and you would feel guilty for doing it to him," responded Cale. "I think that we should keep an eye on you."  
Windy raised an eyebrow. "And what about Mia and Lady Kayura?"  
"Ryo, Anubis, and Rowen are taking care of that problem."  
"So I'm the last choice?"  
Cale started to look uncomfortable. "No, it's just that we aren't finding many people that will dance with us."  
"Oh, so it's for your own good as well as mine?"  
Cale blushed and Windy laughed.  
"Alright, I'll help you. It'll keep the drunks off me anyway. Thank you."  
Cale's smile could have been a match for Sage's Halo armor at that moment. He eagerly claimed the dance he lied to the drunk about. Seckmet, then Kento, claimed the next dance. Everyone seemed to forget the trouble that was waiting for them, when it decided to remind them.  
It was just before midnight, when the lights went out and everything stopped. Windy and Cale started to round up their night-blind friends, but before they could ease their way to the door a thick fog rose from the ground. Windy cursed under her breath as she started to give off a faint light of her own, showing that an evil presence was near by. The rest of her group was alerted to the presence along with the rest of the club goers when a chilling laugh bounced around the walls of the club.  
"Tulpa."  
More then one person spat the name, but Mia's was more with a bit of fear. She knew that she would have to face him soon, but she didn't feel that she was ready.  
"Greetings, my Warlords and Lady Kayura. Greetings, Ronin Warriors. Greetings, Lady Phoenix and Lord Dragon. Ah, there is the Bailiff. It is nice to see you too, Lady Windy."  
Ryo's eyes narrowed and he edged closer to Mia. Anubis stepped closer to Lady Kayura and Windy raised her head a bit higher and stared in the direction of the voice. The look she gave could have frozen Hell and was a match for any royal in the world.  
"Why are you here, Tulpa?" ground out Ryo.  
"To get my revenge. To get the power that is mine. I want my armors and the four powers of the Court of Magic."  
"The power is not for you. It was denied when the four Guardians went into hiding," snarled Windy. "They are denied to you now. They will die before handing you their power."  
"We will not hand you the armors either, Tulpa," ground out Dais. "You fooled us once, but not now."  
"We shall see, Lady Bailiff. We shall see, Ronins and Warlords."  
The fog lifted and the club was silent. Everyone in the building was unconscious on the floor. Windy did a quick look and proclaimed they were drained for power and should recover in a few days. "But we must leave. It is no longer safe to go out alone," she cautioned. "Tulpa will be waiting for a chance to make good his threats."  
The group quickly left the city to return to Mia's house. Sleep was few and far between. Even Rowen and Windy had trouble falling asleep later in the evening. Mia had nightmares, which required Windy to guard her dreams that night. Any sleep that was taken was short and brushed near being awake. No one was rested the next morning, but there was nothing that could be done. Tulpa had raised the ante.  
  
  
"Grandma?"  
"Yes, sweetheart?"  
"Why did you have to guard the Phoenix's dreams?"  
"She had enough nightmares, she didn't need Tulpa trying to approach her in the dream realm."  
"Why didn't he try it with the others, Mom?"  
"Because she was the newest and he considered her the weakest. Actually they all were protected by something, I just had to wait for Mia's to grow stronger."  
"Mom?"  
"Hmm?"  
"Did I say how much I love you lately?"  
"Yes, but I don't mind hearing it more."  
"I love you, Mom."  
"I love you too, Bill. And I love you, my grandchildren." 


	6. Chapter 6

The New Phoenix  
Chapter 6  
Rocky Oberlin  
  
Disclaimer: For Lent, I have given up telling tall tails. Thus I must say that I don't own the Ronin Warriors. (Like I had said it before.)  
  
  
Breakfast was a somber affair the next morning. No one wanted to think about the threat that Tulpa had made the night before. Mia was pale and Ryo watched her with a worried look. Both almost ignored their breakfast and to show how preoccupied everyone was, Kento didn't even try to take their meals. Windy sighed and shoved her plate away; even she didn't eat much of her small breakfast.  
  
"We either need to talk or we need to do something."  
  
"Like what?" asked Dais.  
  
"Train," said Anubis.  
  
"We could train until the next blue moon, but against Tulpa, we won't stand a chance. Look what happened to Wildfire the last time they fought," said Seckmet.  
  
Windy rolled her eyes as the Ronins protested over what Ryo had done. Mia looked whiter at the memory of Ryo almost dying with Tulpa. Ryo glanced at her and put his arms around her shoulders. "It won't happen again," he whispered to her. Mia just nodded and huddled closer to Ryo.  
  
"If you all are done acting like frightened children, I would suggest that we take this outside," called Windy. No one paid attention except Ryo and Mia. Windy growled low in her throat and slammed her fist on the table. "Shut up and take it outside! NOW!" Silence reigned in the kitchen. "Did I stutter?" Windy growled. The kitchen cleared in two seconds. Windy looked at the tiger as White Blaze strolled in. "You would think that they would learn to listen the first time."  
  
White Blaze just looked at the Windwalker and then padded to his dish. When he found it was empty, he sat down and turned his piercing gaze to the ghostly woman. Windy chuckled and pulled out White Blaze's breakfast along with a few sausage patties from breakfast. White Blaze purred his thanks and eagerly started on his breakfast.  
  
Windy walked out the door to find three different groups facing off. In one part of the yard were the Ronins except for Ryo. Opposite of them were the Seasonals. In the middle were Mia, Ryo, and Anubis. It seemed like they were referees between two teams, but the yelling told Windy that the two from the Court of Magic was trying to calm down a fight that was brewing.  
  
"If you guys don't stop this, we are going to lose to Tulpa," Mia was saying.  
  
"There is no way that we are going to win anyway. We might as well hole up in a remote part of the Mortal Realm and let the three of you go wherever the other Guardians went," Seckmet was saying.  
  
"And leave everything that we fought for?" yelled Sage.  
  
"You're nothing but cowards," added Kento.  
  
"We know what we're talking about!" answered Dais. "We know the power Tulpa has."  
  
"Yet you forget that you have two Guardians with you now," said Anubis calmly.  
  
"But look what happened the first time Tulpa came to the Mortal Realm," shot back Lady Kayura. "The Guardians left it all up to the Ancient."  
  
"Now they have me to help," said Ryo.  
  
"Do you plan to die with them, Wildfire?" asked Cale.  
  
"No! We will help and protect him," answered Rowen.  
  
Cye just looked uncomfortable with all the yelling and perked up only when Windy made her appearance. He walked over and asked, "Is there any way that you can stop this?"  
  
Windy shook her head. "They have to deal with this themselves. I think that having it out here will help keep the cost of damage down." She smirked a little as Kento and Dais started to get physical with their fight. It took Sage, Ryo, and Anubis to separate the two combatants. "Either way, something will be figured out soon."  
  
Cye looked at the fight and the people from the Court of Magic. "Ryo's not the only protector, is he?" Windy shook her head. "Who are the others?"  
  
"You know who the Dragon's Protector is already." Cye looked up startled and glanced swiftly at Lady Kayura. "That's right. She is Anubis' Protector, only she doesn't know it yet. There are two more from the nine armors who are Protectors of the Unicorn and the Griffon."  
  
"Who are they?" asked Mia as she came up to the bailiff of her Court and the bearer of Torrent.  
  
"They must be discovered," smiled Windy mysteriously. "Only when the time comes will they be found."  
  
  
"Hey, I remember the battle. Cye was always near me."  
  
"Very good, my son. Now who was near Griffon?"  
  
"Ahhhh."  
  
"Grandma, does Uncle Bill have to tell Griffon who his Protector is now?"  
  
"Soon, children, soon. Let your uncle get his color back. Bill do you want a shot of whiskey?"  
  
"Mom, please. Grandma gave me plenty of Hot Toddies when I was sick."  
  
"Taste terrible, don't they?"  
  
"How did you drink them?"  
  
"Quickly. And I told my Mom that I really didn't want any when I was sick."  
  
"Grandma, did the others stop fighting soon?"  
  
Sigh. "No, it went on for most of the day..."  
  
  
Cye looked up from the lunch he was making to see Ryo and Anubis stalk through the door. He could almost see the storm clouds that were hanging over their heads. Mia came in and smiled weakly at them and motioned for them to sit down. Windy soon followed and sat down with the Guardians at the table. The sounds of the fight still raged outside.  
  
"I give up," sighed Ryo. "How will we be able to get them to even help us if they are still fighting."  
  
Windy looked out the window to see if someone else was going to come in soon. "We only need two more if we really came down to it. The others would be nice to have, but _I'm_ not going to force them."  
  
"Who would we need?" asked Mia.  
  
"Well, we have Cye and Ryo, you already know about Lady Kayura, and we would need the last Protector."  
  
  
"Ha! I knew it!"  
  
"Yes, you're very smart. Now shut up."  
  
Giggles.  
  
  
The last of the combatants came in for dinner, glaring at each other. Windy thought it looked like the American Civil War with the Ronins on one side of the table and the Seasonals on the other. Anubis noted the hurt looks Rowen kept throwing at Lady Kayura, but she didn't seem to notice. Windy intercepted one of his looks and nodded her head to Anubis; tonight they would be speaking to the Ronin of Strata.  
  
Dinner was as uncomfortable as breakfast was and Mia was sick of it. "I don't care what the rest of you do, but I'm going into the study to eat. May be I can find something to help with fighting Tulpa."  
  
"You can look all you want, but you won't find anything that will help," muttered Lady Kayura. Rowen threw another hurt look in her direction and sighed into his meal.  
  
Ryo stood with the Phoenix Guardian and walked with her. Windy, Anubis, and Cye soon picked up their plates and joined the Phoenix couple. Rowen looked at his fellow Ronins and the scowling Seasonals and followed after the three. "I don't know about the rest of you, but I think that they have the right idea."  
  
Cale had been silent for most of the day except for the beginning of the fight due to a strange pull tugging at his senses. He stood and said, "I think I agree with you, Strata, for some reason. May be the Lady Bailiff will know why." The two blue haired men left the table turned battlefield and joined the mystic group in the study around the computer.  
  
"What brings you here?" asked Ryo.  
  
"Some peace and quiet to enjoy my dinner," said Rowen.  
  
"Questions that need to be answered," said Cale.  
  
Anubis looked at Windy and seemed to question, "Is he one of the Protectors?" Windy nodded her head and shooed him to Rowen. Anubis got the message and went to talk with Rowen about the Lady Kayura, his Protector.  
  
"What do you want to know, Cale?" asked Windy.  
  
"Why do I feel like there is something that I should be with?" the Seasonal of Winter asked bluntly.  
  
"Because you are a part of something just like Ryo, Cye, and Lady Kayura are."  
  
"Lady Kayura and Torrent are like Ryo?" he asked, shocked.  
  
Windy nodded her head. "Remember when I explained the situation with Mia and Ryo? How two of the Guardian's Protectors were turned away to work for Tulpa?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Well, Anubis was one. The Armor of Spring protected the Guardian Dragon, but when Tulpa took the bearer, he corrupted the armor. When the Ancient took back his Protector, he brought the armor back to its possible responsibility. When the Ancient died and Anubis took over, he became the new Dragon."  
  
"I know, you told us on the night we fled the Nether Realm."  
  
"So you know that Anubis gave up being the Protector of the Dragon to be the Dragon Guardian."  
  
"Yes, he gave it up when he gave Lady Kayura his armor."  
  
"So..."  
  
"So, Lady Kayura is now the Dragon's Protector?"  
  
Windy grinned. "Right."  
  
Cale looked thoughtful for a moment. "Is that the reason why Anubis is acting like a brother to her?"  
  
Windy nodded.  
  
"What about Strata? He seems to like Lady Kayura."  
  
"Why do you think that Anubis is talking to him?"  
  
Cale looked over to see Anubis was having a heart to heart with Rowen. The subject must have been serious as both looked grim, but soon Rowen broke into a grin. Anubis patted him on the shoulder and nodded to Windy. Windy smiled back and looked at Cale.  
  
"What do I have to do?"  
  
"You must wait. When the battle, and if the one you protect, comes, you must stay near him. Cye will be the same if it happens to him. He is already feeling the same pull that Ryo and you felt. He will figure it out sooner or later."  
  
"What about Lady Kayura?"  
  
"I may have to hit her over the head before she realizes what she must do."  
  
"That's a switch. Usually it's the woman who has to hit the man over the head to get his attention," said Ryo.  
  
Windy grinned. "There are some who need more help than others. Just like there are some men who need more help to realize something." Windy tossed her head and the purple cord swung over her shoulder. "Now, I'm going to take my dishes back to the kitchen and see if there is even a dining room left. Is there anything that you want me to take with me?"  
  
Everyone piled his or her dishes together and Rowen helped the spirit take everything to the sink. The dining room was empty and Sage was in the kitchen making a cup of tea. Dishes were piled in the sink and no one looked like they were going to do them. Windy started to draw up the water and Rowen grabbed some dishtowels to dry. Sage just glared at the woman in white and his roommate. "I'll see you when we go to bed," he ground out. Then the blonde stalked out of the room.  
  
As he left, Dais came in. They glared daggers at each other and gave wide berth as they passed. Dais left his glass by the sink to be washed and left the room without a word. Lady Kayura came in next to drop off her cup and Windy nailed her with a look.  
  
"Sit down and listen to Rowen. There is something that you need to hear."  
  
Rowen put away the dish he was drying and sat down across from Lady Kayura. "Umm, there is something that you should probably know, two things in fact."  
  
"Yes. What is it?"  
  
Rowen gave Windy a helpless look and she gave him a silent urging. "Well, you know how Anubis looked guilty when Windy explained how every Guardian had a Protector?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Well, Anubis told me that he was the Ancient's Protector because of the armor. So..."  
  
"So, that would make me..." Lady Kayura trailed off with a guilty look of her own.  
  
Rowen looked at her and chuckled. "You know, may be the Armor of Cruelty should have the kanji of Guilt instead of Ryo. The way Anubis and Lady Kayura are going, they seem to be heaping more of the guilt on then Ryo did when we first got together." Windy chuckled at his sally, but Lady Kayura made a face at him.  
  
"Be careful of what you say, Strata. You may regret it one day."  
  
"But not today, right Rowen?" asked Windy. Rowen just grinned impudently at the two women.  
  
Lady Kayura sighed. "So, I'm now Anubis' Protector. What was the second thing that you wanted to talk to me about?"  
  
Rowen looked down to hide the blush that was forming on his cheeks. "That I like you a lot," he mumbled.  
  
Lady Kayura looked puzzled. "What was that?"  
  
"That I like you," said Rowen louder. "I like you a lot. I would like to go out with you sometime after this is all over." By the time he was done, the bearer of Strata was doing a good impression of Cye and was a match for Ryo's armor. He got up hurriedly and left the kitchen for his room.  
  
Lady Kayura just stared after him with a bewildered look on her face. She turned and looked at Windy. "Did he just say what I thought he just said?"  
  
Windy looked at the new Ancient and nodded. "Yes. He does like you and would like to get to know you better."  
  
The bearer of the Spring armor smiled whimsically, which was a surprise to Windy seeing as she didn't think that Lady Kayura knew how to smile whimsically, and walked up to her and Mia's room. Windy sighed and looked at the dishes still in the sink. "Of course I will finish the dishes for you Rowen," she said sarcastically. Windy picked up the dishtowel and started to dry the remaining dishes before continuing on the next set to be washed.  
  
  
Mia looked up as her door opened and Lady Kayura walked in. The whimsical smile was still on her face. Mia had an answering smile on her face and questions in her eyes. "So did he finally say something?" she asked.  
  
Mia's question startled Kayura from her daze. She smiled at the Phoenix and nodded. "Yes, he did. Rowen said that he liked me."  
  
"Finally. Ryo and I were beginning to wonder when Rowen was going to say something."  
  
"I wonder what Anubis will say," said Kayura. "I mean, you and Ryo are together, doesn't that mean that Anubis and I should be together?"  
  
Mia shook her head. "How does Anubis treat you? Is he treating you like a friend, sister, or lover?"  
  
"Like a sister," said Kayura decisively.  
  
"I'm glad you said that. Anubis said that he was going to have to talk to Rowen about dating you if he ever got the courage up to ask. I guess that was what they were talking about in the study while we were eating dinner."  
  
Lady Kayura's face fell at the mention of dinner. "Yeah, about today. I want to say that I'm sorry. The Lady Windy is still here and then there is you and Anubis. May be we shouldn't have given up hope quite yet."  
  
Her apology startled Mia. "Why do you say that? Is it because you finally found out about being Anubis' Protector?"  
  
Kayura shook her head. "No, it was when I walked into the kitchen and saw a powerful being in her own right calmly washing dishes. She could do them quickly and have power to spare to force us to agree with her. But she doesn't. She just left us to fight in the backyard and only raised her voice to get us out of the house. Halo, Hardrock, Dais, and Seckmet are going around like a pack of wild dogs growling at anyone who doesn't agree with them and here you all are, calm and going about your business like Tulpa hasn't threatened everything that you worked for."  
  
Mia smiled sadly at the other woman. "Tulpa hasn't just threatened everything that we worked for, he has threatened all of us. The only one who may not come under his power would be the Lady herself. She seems to hold her own power, like you said. At the Ceremony that made me the new Phoenix, I met her replacement for the Unicorn Guardian. He called her 'Mom' and she treated him like a son. The Griffon Guardian treated her with respect, too. I think that we should have faith in her and ourselves. She hasn't given up, so why should we?"  
  
Lady Kayura went to bed with a full mind and a lifting heart. Rowen liked her, but what about the fight with Tulpa? She didn't know what to do about either, but hoped that an answer would come soon as she stared at the ceiling. Even that didn't hold answers as she waited for sleep to take her.  
  
  
"So is Rowen still with the Dragon's Protector, Mom?"  
  
"As far as I know."  
  
"Grandma, do they look like a cute couple?"  
  
"Why?"  
  
"Because Mom said that if the couple is cute, they were meant to be together."  
  
"She did not."  
  
"Did too."  
  
  
"Did not."  
  
"Did too."  
  
"Did-"  
  
"Children!"  
  
"-Not."  
  
"Do you want me to continue?"  
  
"Yes, Grandma."  
  
"Then stop arguing. Sometimes a cute couple doesn't mean that they should be together. It's not the looks, it's how they treat each other."  
  
"What do you mean, Grandma?"  
  
"Every couple should treat the partner with respect. That is the foundation of a good relationship."  
  
"Oh, so that's the secret with Grandma and Grandpa."  
  
"Yes, and that is how I am with my partners when I work, Bill. May be you should take notes."  
  
  
Sorry it took so long to get out, but the hospital was swamped. I'll try to get another chapter out soon, but I'm not making too many promises. Please read and review.  
Rocky 


	7. Chapter 7

The New Phoenix  
Chapter 7  
Rocky Oberlin  
  
Disclaimer: On this day of blackness, I kneel down before God and bear my soul to Him. Thus I must say the truth: I don't own the Ronin Warriors.  
  
  
The next day Windy seemed to be subdued. She sat next to the fire with a black cord threaded through her hair. Sometimes she would lower her head and a tear would fall from her eyes. White Blaze rubbed his head against her and she absently stroked his head. At her touch, he saw the painful scene that she was somehow watching and gave her a comforting lick on her cheek.  
  
"I know that it will turn out alright, but I must remember the sadness before the joy, White Blaze. Thank you for the encouragement."  
  
Cye came down the stairs for breakfast and saw the spirit watch the morning sky from her place by the fire. "What's wrong? I thought that you had faith in us?"  
  
Windy smiled. "I'm remembering something that happened even before Tulpa came."  
  
"And what is that?" snapped a grouchy Seckmet.  
  
Windy looked at the rumpled Seasonal of Summer. "Good Friday. The day that Jesus Christ died on a cross for everyone in the world. An innocent man for a corrupt world."  
  
"Why did he do such a thing?" asked Lady Kayura as she joined the assembling group in the Living Room.  
  
"Because He loved us. Because God loved us so much that He sent His Son, Jesus, down to pay for our mistakes."  
  
"And that's why you fight, isn't it?" asked, surprisingly, Cale.  
  
The spirit nodded a sad smile on her face. "He won't let evil take His creation, but He will use it to bring His children back to Him. I'm here to help give my brothers and sisters a chance to find Him."  
  
"So we should have faith that we can defeat Tulpa," said Lady Kayura.  
  
"But we shouldn't be too cocky while we're doing it," reminded Ryo. "Like you guys said yesterday, look what happened to me."  
  
Mia looked pale at the though, but nodded her head. "He is right. We should remember that we can be killed doing this."  
  
"But have faith that it can be done," finished Anubis.  
  
Windy smiled at the words of wisdom coming for the three members of the court. She turned her head back to her contemplation and at noon she bowed her head and muttered, "It is finished." A single tear fell from her eye and disappeared into nothingness.  
  
"He died at this hour, didn't he?" asked Rowen.  
  
Windy nodded her head. Her clothes seemed to be a dark gray, not the white that she usually wore. "We have the battle to attend to. I will be coming."  
  
Rowen and Windy walked out to the backyard to confer with the others. Dark clouds gathered at the horizon and moved against the prevailing wind toward the city. Anubis and Mia were clothed in their robes of Guardianship and Ryo and Lady Kayura stood near the ones they protected. Windy had changed her clothes between one step and the next to a dark gray set of breeches, loose shirt, and leather vest. It was like the clothes she wore when she brought back Anubis to help his sister Guardian.  
  
"He's coming," said Anubis.  
  
"We may need the full Court this time," added Mia.  
  
"They will be there if and when they are needed," said Windy.  
  
  
"I think I noticed something while we were fighting, Mom."  
  
"And what was that?"  
  
"Rowen stayed near you."  
  
"Does that mean that he is your Protector, Grandma?"  
  
"May be."  
  
"I think so, my niece. I think so."  
  
  
It was agreed by the Ronins and Seasonals to fight Tulpa in the city, where he would do as much damage as he could. They hoped that by concentrating on them, some of the city could be spared from more destruction. Mia looked at them in askance and Windy shook her head. Powerful Magick would be performed by the end of this fight and the city would have a major construction bill to pay off afterward.  
  
The warriors all called their subarmor and once again piled into the two cars. As Windy brought out her bike Rowen walked over to join her. Anubis looked at him and joined his Protector in the second car. As they drove to the city, the wind howled around them. A few times it looked like they were going to lose control of the cars and completely lose Windy and Rowen on the motorcycle. Every time it happened, some force would correct the cars and Windy would maneuver the bike so they wouldn't be driven off the road.  
  
When they were a mile from the city, the cars came past the city limits okay, but a gale force wind kept Windy from entering and almost spilled the two on the bike. Rowen was ready for a hard landing when he realized that he was still upright and not on a motorcycle. He looked over Windy's shoulder to see they were on a black horse and entering the city limits a quarter mile away from the others.  
  
"Are you okay?" asked Windy.  
  
"Yeah," called back Rowen. He wasn't sure if the spirit had heard him, but she did glance back with a grin on her face.  
  
"Just like the November storms in Michigan," she shouted.  
  
Rowen gave her a bewildered look but didn't say anything. He concentrated on holding onto his partner and not falling off the horse. They reached the others in the middle of the city.  
  
"What took you so long?" asked Cale.  
  
"We ran into trouble with the weather," said Windy. "I think that Tulpa didn't want us here."  
  
"We lost the cars half a mile back," said Mia. "How did you get here?"  
  
"We rode a horse," said Rowen shakily.  
  
Eyebrows were raised and Sage asked, "Where did you get a horse."  
  
"You wouldn't believe me if I told you," said Windy.  
  
Their conversation was ended with another gale force wind barreling down between the buildings toward them. "You can manipulate the wind, can't you control this gale?!" yelled Seckmet.  
  
"Can you control all the snakes in the world," screamed back Windy. "It's like that!" She was cut off by chilling laughter.  
  
"Greetings again, Warriors and Guardians," cackled a metallic voice.  
  
The warriors slid into a fighting stance and looked toward the origin of the voice.  
  
"We're here Tulpa," called Ryo. "Now either fight us face to face or leave."  
  
"We will come face to face, Wildfire, but you will be defeated when we do," the demon responded.  
  
The wind died down, but the clouds hung low over the city. A blade coming down in front of Mia showed Tulpa had called his soldiers to fight the Ronins and Seasonals and didn't care what shape the Guardians were in. Mia jumped back from the blade and seemed to flare with the power of the Phoenix. She grabbed a hold of the chain connected to the blade and fire followed it up to the hand that sent the blade. A tower of fire showed where one hapless soldier had been and where hundreds more were waiting to fight.  
  
"Armor of Wildfire! Dao Jin!"  
  
The others called their armor and spread out into a circle with Ryo, Rowen, and Lady Kayura staying close to Mia, Windy, and Anubis. Windy looked at her new protector and nodded her head. The Strata bearer and the Bailiff jumped from the circle and took places on roofs on either side of the circle. Rowen pulled his bow and started to shoot his golden arrows at any soldier that came too near the circle while pulled a bow of her own from nowhere. She blew a breath on the points of her arrows before letting them fly to the soldiers further away from the ones Rowen shot at; her arrows didn't miss their targets. The soldiers that the two didn't hit were pushed back by the other warriors surrounding the Guardians.  
  
"Snake Fang Strike!"  
  
"Black Lightning Slash!"  
  
"Web of Deception!"  
  
Soldiers fell before the onslaught, but two more seem to take their place. The combat was hard and the blows given to the warriors were harder. Tulpa cackled from his vantage point and waited for the time when he could take the power from the two young Guardians.  
  
Mia and Anubis used little of their powers to protect themselves and the others; they knew that it would bring the attention of the Dynasty Master. Windy and Rowen came down from the roofs to help fight hand to hand with their fellow warriors against the dark soldiers that were coming up behind the group.  
  
"Should we form the Inferno?" called Sage.  
  
"I don't think that would be a good idea," answered Mia. "Phoenix Flames!" A bird of complete fire flew away from the Phoenix Guardian and winged around the soldiers trying to take down Cye. He waved his thanks and continued to slash with his yari at the remaining soldiers surrounding him.  
  
"Give up Guardians!" called Tulpa. "You are just two and are almost defeated."  
  
"You should learn to count, evil one," called a deep voice. Ryo recognized the Griffin Guardian in his scarlet, brown, and silver robes. He was accompanied by the young man in white and silver robes, the Unicorn Guardian.  
  
"Good, now I won't have to hunt you down," cackled Tulpa. "You retreated last time like cowards, but this time I will take your power before you can leave this realm."  
  
"We are here to stop you for the final time," called the Unicorn Guardian.  
  
Tulpa laughed at the two new Guardians. "You ran last time I came to this realm. Now you expect to defeat me?"  
  
"Anything is possible, Tulpa," said Anubis.  
  
"And we will try," added Mia.  
  
"Besides, the full Court is here," said Windy.  
  
Ryo and Lady Kayura joined their Guardians and Cye and Cale walked toward the newcomers. Windy stood behind the gathered Court with Rowen guarding her back. The remaining warriors fanned out around the Court of Magic and readied themselves for Tulpa's next attack.  
  
"Now you will feel the power that I have gained. I WILL have my armors back and the Power to take this realm."  
  
"No, Tulpa, you will not," said Windy quietly.  
  
"Who will stop me?"  
  
"We will," said Mia. "We aren't afraid to die to stop you." The fear that she once had for the Master of the Dynasty had changed with the coming of her brother Guardians and the support of her Protector; now she seemed to radiate a newfound confidence with the completion of the Court of Magic. Now all was in readiness for the final battle between the Dark Master of the Dynasty and the protectors and Guardians of the Mortal Realm.  
  
  
This was written for Good Friday. I want to try to show the difference between this sad day and the coming Easter Sunday where joy is felt once again with the resurrection of Jesus Christ. You will see how it comes into play in the next chapter. As always, please review.  
Rocky 


	8. Chapter 8

The New Phoenix  
Chapter 8  
Rocky Oberlin  
  
Disclaimer: I rejoice for my heart is glad. I will go out and sing praise to God. Why? Because Jesus has arisen from the grave. Not because I have been willed the Ronin Warriors. I don't claim the Ronin Warriors, but I will claim the new life given to me by Jesus Christ Himself.  
  
  
Tulpa drew up his power. The Court summoned their strength. The warriors drew deep into themselves to the power of the armors. Windy stood quietly and listened to the sound only she could hear. The field of battle was set.  
  
"Arise my spirits," commanded Tulpa. "Take back what is mine."  
  
"Now we fight for our lives and for this world," said the Griffon Guardian. "My old comrades couldn't fight, but we can."  
  
"And now we protect what has been given in our care," continued the Unicorn Guardian.  
  
"We have been given this chance," added Anubis.  
  
"And we will do this," said Mia.  
  
"For we are Guardians given the responsibility by God Himself," finished Windy.  
  
The Nether Spirits attacked the group and each fought to protect each other and the world. Sage swung is great sword and took down two spirit armors. Near him Cale watched over the Griffon's back. Rowen gave up shooting his arrows and used his mystic bow as a staff to fight the armors. Lady Kayura swung her kusari gama and called her attack. The chains flew through the air and pinned the armors in the air. Mia took the advantage and called on her fire powers to burn the hanging armors.  
  
More armors replaced the ones taken down. Each warrior fought and protected each other, but Tulpa called more to replace his fallen. Armors not brought down by the Guardians' power were reanimated. Kento almost took a blow to the back when an armor he had dispatched came back while he was fighting a new one. He looked back in time to see the Unicorn Guardian pull out a sword from the chest of the armor.  
  
"Why'd you do that?" Kento asked.  
  
"Because it was going to do you the same favor," answered the young man in white.  
  
  
"I remember that. Cye thanked me for saving his friend."  
  
"Yes. And I also remember you almost taking a hit from an arrow."  
  
  
"We're getting no where, Lady Phoenix," said the Griffon.  
  
"Tulpa seems to be calling his armies," said Mia.  
  
"We're not getting anywhere. We have to do something," said the Unicorn.  
  
"So what do you think we should do?" asked Seckmet.  
  
"You could surrender," thundered Tulpa.  
  
"This is a private conversation, Demon," called the Unicorn. "You weren't invited."  
  
That provoked Tulpa. He ordered a soldier to fire at the young man. The shot was true and was almost piercing the Unicorn's chest when it was stopped. Windy held on the shaft and an angry look was on her face. "Next time you do something like that, my son, please make sure that your enemy can't kill you."  
  
"Yes, mother."  
  
Windy turned to Tulpa. "Next time you try something like that, Tulpa, make sure that the person you attack doesn't have powerful protectors."  
  
"Or powerful mothers," muttered Cye.  
  
"Mother?" The question was passed around the group as they gathered closer together. The spirit soldiers pressed them from all sides and the warriors pushed back, but held their ground.  
  
"Of course," said the Unicorn as he unleashed some of his power. "She raised me when my birth mother was killed."  
  
"And I gave him the Platinum Heart of the Unicorns when he was old enough," said Windy. "That made him the new Guardian and I was able to take over my other job."  
  
"Can we pay attention to the battle at hand?" asked Cale. "We are trying to stay alive to protect this world."  
  
"He's right, you know," said Ryo. "We can discuss this at a later time." Windy caught another arrow heading for the Protector of the Griffon Guardian. "And I think that we should do something about that archer."  
  
"That would be nice. I can't keep this up forever. I'm not always going to be here when someone fires at you."  
  
"In other words, I should get my power together to show Tulpa not to fire at the Guardians," said the Unicorn. He pulled more of his power and light faintly glowed in his hands in contrast to the gloom surrounding the city. He pulled back like he was setting an arrow to a bow and let the power go.  
  
"Are you sure that I'm suppose to protect him?" asked Cye to Windy. "Shouldn't Sage be doing this?"  
  
"Don't you trust yourself?" asked the spirit.  
  
"No, but it seems that they have more in common than he and I do."  
  
"You were Chosen long before you were twinkles in your parent's eyes. Sage wouldn't be able to do what you are doing. He is more offense. Protectors have to be offense and especially defense."  
  
"What about Ryo?"  
  
"He is a leader. He has to know both. You have the ability already. Sage is trained to be an attacker."  
  
"Besides, I like you," said the Unicorn. "You and I are more alike then you think."  
  
  
"I don't remember that."  
  
"That's because you were concentrating on your magic. And it was more of the magic talking then you."  
  
"So the armors aren't paired up with a specific Power trait, Grandma?"  
  
"In a way yes; in a way no. Ryo and Mia are alike in Power and personality. Anubis would have been like a son to the Ancient, but was taken before anything could happen. So Lady Kayura is like a sister to Anubis. Cye is patient and kind. That is what draws the Unicorn Power to him."  
  
"I thought it was because he was an innocent. You know what I mean."  
  
"If you mean virgins, then yes, that probably helped, but that isn't what was drawing him to you. Besides, I've seen people who weren't virgins approached by unicorns."  
  
"Oh, that's right. My bad."  
  
"You've been hanging around your uncle too long.  
  
"I know. Scary, isn't it?"  
  
"Very. Now with Cale and the Griffon, they both have strong power. Cale is independent and has to be strong to control his element. I hope you know why this is a match for the Griffon Guardian."  
  
"Because Griffons aren't always natural beings, but constructs that have a will of their own."  
  
"That's right, my child. I think, Bill, that you need to refresh your memory of that."  
  
"Hey, I'm busy. The Unicorn Council is still complaining on how you didn't get anything done and I have to sit there and listen."  
  
"My son, who are you?"  
  
"The Unicorn King."  
  
"And who must they listen to?"  
  
"The unicorns and their needs."  
  
"But who "rules" over them?"  
  
"Me."  
  
"Then start ruling. You have to take back more of your power."  
  
"Oh, like Mr. Reagan from the United States when he was in power."  
  
"Something like that. You rule, not them. And you have other responsibilities. Make them understand that."  
  
"Thanks Mom."  
  
"You're welcome."  
  
  
It seemed like the battle had gone on for hours. The Ronins and Seasonals stayed in one place and protected the magic users as much as possible. Everyone was exhausted when Tulpa finally faced them.  
  
"You are losing. Give up now and I will make your end quick."  
  
"We will never give up to you," cried Ryo.  
  
Mia stood by his side with a defiant look on her face. Her brother Guardians also held grim looks that defied the Dynasty ruler. Around the group, negative answers were given to the demon. Tulpa looked at the last person in the group. Windy still seemed to be listening to something only she could hear. At this point it was like she as distracted and not paying whole attention to the fight. He decided to end the Bailiff of the Court to weaken the tired Guardians.  
  
Black power gathered in his fist and everyone could see it grow stronger. Mia looked at her Bailiff and started to run to her. The Unicorn Guardian took one look at his adopted mother and held her back.  
  
"Something is going on, wait," he told his new sister.  
  
Tulpa threw the power at the spirit woman in gray and laughed when it connected with her stomach. "Now will you surrender?" He laughingly demanded.  
  
"No." Rowen came to his feet from the sprawl he landed in from the force of the blast.  
  
"Never." It was Sage, Kento, Seckmet, and Dais. They stood by their friends at they also rose to their feet.  
  
"Not now and not ever," responded the four Guardians of Magic. Their Protectors stood at their sides with one hand on the Guardians' right shoulders.  
  
"Then I will take the Power and the armors when I have destroyed you," cried Tulpa.  
  
"I don't think so."  
  
The power Tulpa had sent to the spirit had coalesced around her to kill her. It had darkened so no one could see the body as the darkness tortured before ending her. But there was a problem. The black power was fading. A white glow was eating it from the inside out. The figure that should have been curled into a fetal position in pain was standing straight and tall with her blue eyes closed, a beatific smile on her face, and wearing a plain dress of pure white. In her hair a cord of gold and the same pure white twined with lilies Rowen and Cye recognized as being Easter lilies.  
  
"Death has lost its sting, Tulpa. The grave has no power. The time of darkness is at an end. On Good Friday, an innocent man was killed for a corrupt world. On the third day, He left His tomb to bring a new life to the people of this world. Today I celebrate this renewal and give it to those who defend this world today." The spirit Windy, Bailiff to the Court of Magic and Horse Lady raised her eyes to the demon. "Get ready to be sent back to Hell."  
  
Light streamed off the dead but not dead woman to join with the warriors. Their energy was renewed and Power sang through them. The warriors felt the renewal and felt a new sense of determination enter them. The Ronins yelled out their sure kills and the Seasonals joined them one beat behind. The dark soldiers of Tulpa fell to the dust never to rise again. The Guardians Called their Magic once again and this time received more than when they had called earlier. The Griffon Guardian changed to his other form and flew up to do battle with Tulpa in the air. The Unicorn Guardian also Changed to his real form and joined his comrade on the ground. Mia and Anubis looked at each other then at their Bailiff. She nodded her head and the two Changed for the first time.  
  
Ryo looked up in time to see Mia take to flight as a golden Phoenix and Anubis glide low to the ground to help the Unicorn. He witnessed as the Powers of Fire and Water, Wind and Earth were used in huge blasts to weaken the Dynasty leader.  
  
An unexpected, but glancing blow fell the Griffon to the ground where the Unicorn and the Dragon withdrew to protect him. Cye, Cale, and Lady Kayura ran to guard their Guardians and Ryo looked up to see what his Guardian, his love was doing. She flew around the demon and made quick strikes. But she didn't do anything to really harm the seemingly giant demon.  
  
"Ryo of Wildfire, Protector of the Phoenix, you must help your Guardian." It was Windy standing with Rowen.  
  
"How?"  
  
"Call the Inferno Armor," said Rowen.  
  
"But what about Cye and you? You still have to protect Windy and the Unicorn."  
  
"There is us, Wildfire," said Dais.  
  
"Yes. We can help," offered Seckmet.  
  
Ryo looked at Sage and Kento. They both nodded their heads and Ryo made his decision. "Thank you for helping me." The armors of Halo and Summer, Hardrock and Autumn glowed with their power and were released to join with Ryo. His Wildfire armor broke to pieces to make way for the Inferno armor. When Ryo settled the helmet on his head, he looked up at the demon that was batting at the fiery phoenix.  
  
'Mia?'  
  
'Ryo!?'  
  
'You can hear me?'  
  
'Yes.'  
  
'I'm in the Inferno Armor, Mia. Get back so I can destroy Tulpa.'  
  
"It will take more then the Inferno Armor this time, Ryo of Inferno. Remember, Tulpa has gathered more power then when you last faced him."  
  
Ryo looked at Windy and silently questioned what he was supposed to do.  
  
"The Phoenix must help this time. Remember, both of you, the feelings you have for the world and especially for each other."  
  
Ryo nodded and Mia screamed a reply. Both seemed to connect with each other at the affirmative responses. Ryo swung his swords and called out, "RAGE OF INFERNO!!!"  
  
The anger of having Tulpa invade his world, the worry of what will happen to Mia, and the frustration of not knowing if this will be the last time Tulpa will return formed together to a powerful attack that anyone had ever seen. Even when Ryo first had the armor and couldn't control the attack, none of the earlier attacks even matched this. It slammed into Tulpa like a bullet shot from a high powered gun. Only Mia could see an opening where she could add to her attack. The others were blinded by the intense light and heat from the fire.  
  
Windy wasn't blinded by the attack; she was watching the other half of Tulpa's defeat start to make her move. Mia wheeled away from Tulpa and flew a short distance away. When she was satisfied at the distance, again she wheeled around and started to fly toward the crippled demon. Faster she flew as she approached and more Power gathered around her. She slammed into the tiny opening formed by Ryo and let the power loose. So fast was the Phoenix flying that she didn't stop until she had exited from Tulpa's back. The Power of the two attacks shined from the point of impact, Tulpa's silently screaming mouth, and his rounded eyes. Then like a bomb exploding, it flashed to consume him. The darkness was turned to day like the first time the sun was formed to shine on the earth at the command of God. It faded and left sixteen people in the deserted streets of a badly decimated city.  
  
"Where did you come from?" asked Kento as he realized there were two extra bodies rising from the ground.  
  
"Well, originally we came to see the Horse Lady, but we came in time to see the Phoenix make a spectacular attack on a demon," said the young woman.  
  
"Speaking of which, I think that she needs some help, Lady," said the young man.  
  
"I'm coming, hold your horses. I'm not as young as I used to be," griped Windy good naturedly.  
  
"Why is it that she is pleasant with you, but if we did that, she would take our heads off?" asked Sage.  
  
"Because we are older then she is and one doesn't mettle in the affairs of dragons," said the young man.  
  
"That still doesn't explain much," grumbled Dais.  
  
Ryo ignored the two new comers and joined Windy at Mia's side. The young Phoenix opened her eyes and looked painfully at her Protector and Bailiff. "That hurt."  
  
"Yes, and it will hurt more if we don't get you up and moving. Come on, take it from an old hand; the more you lay there, the stiffer you will be when it comes time to move," said Windy.  
  
Ryo assisted Windy in getting Mia on her feet and then helped his love over to their fellow Guardians and Protectors.  
  
"Did you really have to do that?" asked the Unicorn Guardian. "I was almost flattened by the after shock."  
  
"Quit complaining. You didn't get smashed to the ground by an oversized hand," said the Griffon Guardian. He staggered to his feet and leaned heavily on Cale. "You did a good job, Phoenix Mia."  
  
"Yes," agreed Anubis.  
  
"Now we have another warrior in the group," laughed Lady Kayura. "At last, someone to talk to."  
  
"I was always here to talk to," objected Mia.  
  
"But not as a warrior. You helped, but you didn't have some of the insight that I have. Now we're even."  
  
"Great job, Mia," said Cye.  
  
Rowen nodded as he walked over. "Yes, you and Ryo handled that very well." He turned to Windy. "The two people want to come with us when we go home. They said something about having to cast a spell."  
  
Windy smiled and nodded. "Yes. Get the others together and wait for us. I think with the two new bodies, we'll have to go home the fast way."  
  
Rowen looked at Windy. "Do I want to know?"  
  
"You'll see," Windy said mischievously. Rowen shook his head and went to gather the others together like Windy asked. "Ryo, I think that you can give back the others' power now."  
  
Ryo looked down and blushed. He willed the Inferno armor away and settled for the subarmor of the Wildfire. Cye followed suit and Cale and Lady Kayura shrugged before doing the same. The group form the Court of Magic painfully walked back to the rest of their party and soon disappeared from the city. People who had once walked the now silent streets came back from where they were taken to with no knowledge of what had happened. They continued on their way as if nothing had happened and failed to notice any improvements that had been made when the city had mysteriously pulled itself back together. Life went on as usual. 


	9. Epilogue

The New Phoenix  
Epilogue  
Rocky Oberlin  
  
Disclaimer: This is the end of my story and I still don't own the Ronin Warriors.  
  
  
"Okay, I want to know who they are," demanded Dais.  
  
"And why are they looking at me funny," added Seckmet.  
  
"You should be used to it by now, Seckmet," said Kento. "Everyone looks at you funny."  
  
"Kento," growled Windy as she restrained Seckmet. "I wouldn't do that if I were you."  
  
"Why?" asked Sage.  
  
"Because there are three dragons here that may take offense to him insulting a lesser cousin," Windy answered.  
  
"Dragons?" asked Cye. "I thought that there was only Anubis."  
  
"No, she's talking about us," said the young woman.  
  
Mia looked hard at the young man next to the woman. "I know you. You're the guy from the library looking for information on the Dreamweaver and the Librarian."  
  
"You were looking for information about us?" asked the woman, amused.  
  
"I had to get the Phoenix on the right track somehow. I thought that was the best way," answered the man in a hurt tone. "By the way, when do you want to start looking for a cave Anubis?"  
  
Lady Kayura looked at Anubis with surprise. "Cave?"  
  
Windy looked up from the first aid she was performing on Cale and said, "Yeah, cave. Where do you think dragons sleep? Barns?" That got a laugh from Rowen and Cye imagining a red barn with hay on the floor.  
  
"That would be a fire trap the first time he sneezes," chortled Rowen.  
  
"Watch it Strata. You are on thin ice," growled Anubis.  
  
The female dragon smiled. "Don't worry, I think it was funny. Do you have any idea how many times my cousin is asked how come the books he takes care of hasn't been burned to ashes yet?"  
  
The male dragon groaned and put on a suffering look. "Please don't bring that up."  
  
"Too many to count," said Windy. "Although, I think someone is nice enough to make them fire retardant."  
  
"So their safe around the dragons, Mia, and Ryo," joked Kento.  
  
"Yes, but you aren't," said Ryo lowly.  
  
Mia didn't say anything, but Kento did jump up quickly with a yelp. "Hot, hot, hot."  
  
"Next time, be careful of what you say," said Mia simply.  
  
Sage looked over at Windy. "I wanted to ask you something. All the time you were here, you changed the cord in your hair from one color to another. Then before we went to battle, you looked like you were in mourning, but just before we were defeated you changed. It was like you were given more power than before."  
  
Windy smiled at the puzzled bearer of Halo and watched as the other inhabitants of Mia's house turned to look at her for the answer to his question. "Would you believe that if I were alive, I would be may be a year or two younger then the five Ronins?" At their surprised looks, she went on. "I lived for eighteen years before I was killed in a car crash with a drunk driver. I was made an offer to come back to help people like yourselves and I took it. With the new charge came a way of traveling across time. Time had lost its effect on me, but I still wanted a way of keeping track of the timeline. Thus, I use the calendar that I would have used if I hadn't died and keep track of the days that way. When we started out, for me it was Good Friday. That was the day Christ was crucified on a cross. When Tulpa struck me with his power, it had dawned on Easter Sunday, the day when death lost its sting and Christ rose from the dead. With that day came the renewal every Christian remembers every Sunday. That is why I had so much power to give to you. That was how Tulpa's defeat started."  
  
"And ended," said Mia. "Without that power, we would have lost."  
  
"But it took you and Ryo to use it. Don't sell yourself short," said Windy. "Now, I don't know about Dreamweaver or the Librarian, but I have to leave. My family wants me to go to church with them and so do I."  
  
"Will you stop by?" asked Rowen.  
  
"Have to," said Windy. "The Court of Magic is in the world again. I may have to come if it is convened."  
  
"So we'll see you later then," said Anubis.  
  
Windy grinned. "Oh, yes. When will be another matter, but you will be seeing me again."  
  
"I guess this is good bye," said Mia a little sadly.  
  
"Not good bye, until next time," said Windy. "I'll see you later, Dreamweaver, Librarian." The spirit faded from view as she smiled like the young girl she should have been.  
  
"I think that I'm going to miss her," said Sage.  
  
"Why?" asked Mia.  
  
"Because she played hard to get." All of a sudden water poured down out of nowhere all over Sage. From the way he shivered the water must have been COLD. They all could hear the laughter of the woman that had just left. Everyone would miss the Windwalker.  
  
  
That my children, is the story of the New Phoenix and her Protector. That was how I, the Windwalker, Lady of all Horses, and Queen Mother of the Unicorns, helped the new Phoenix come to her Power.  
  
  
I hope you enjoyed the story. I had fun writing it. Again I ask if you would please review. Have a Happy, Joious, and safe Easter.  
Rocky 


End file.
